Animatown
by Michelle Leigh Earls
Summary: A young girl born into her destiny must face the cartoon villains and a new foe, the Great One, to fulfill a prophecy. Characters from cartoons like Batman, Darkwing Duck, and Flushed Away make this story one to remember.
1. The Beginning

There are many worlds the human race hasn't yet discovered. Unknowingly, humans, while making their animated films, created an alternate universe for the characters they invented. The cartoons could not leave their world and the humans could not leave Earth. That is, until a human with more imagination than her world could handle found a way inside.

My name is Mia Démone, the Earth specialist on the alternate planes and their activity. While the world of animation began with the first cartoons in the early 1900's, the characters never age, just as they rarely age in the animated films due to idolization. My mother, Mona Démone, was the first of the six original humans who entered the animated alternate world within a twenty-five-year period. My father, whom I didn't meet until my tween years, was a cartoon. However, I did not know this until I was six.

Before I continue, I must make one fact clear. There are several individuals who watched the films _Who Framed Roger Rabbit_, which was set in 1947, and _The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle_ movie, set in the year 2000. Please ignore these films for the time being. While these films give the idea that humans and cartoons were able to communicate with each other back when all cartoons were in black and white, they are inaccurate and pose a fraud on the truth of my story. These films were created through the limited imaginations of human directors and producers who did not yet know of the Alternate World, and have no connection whatsoever. With that being said, I will continue.

My mother was twenty-one when she traveled from Earth to the Alternate World. We, as specialists, are still unsure exactly how the Tear in time and space appeared, and we will probably never know, but that is how Mona escaped Earth to the Alternate World, more affectionately known to its inhabitants as Animatown. There she met and married my father, whom I knew only as Ozzie until I met him. After living in Animatown for four years, Mona was pregnant and in danger from a fiendish organization for world larceny, or F.O.W.L. In order to protect Mona and their unborn child, Ozzie opened up the Tear and sent Mona back to Earth. Hopefully, she would be safe on Earth from even the organization's best field agents.

After a harsh eight months without her husband, Mona gave birth to me, Mia Angelina Démone, on October 25th, 1993 at 7:06 a.m. I grew up in Corry, Pennsylvania, a small, dying town. As I grew up, I watched cartoons I had no idea my mother had met during her stay in Animatown. The one I loved to watch most was Batman. I didn't know why, but for some reason I felt I needed to watch the show every Saturday morning.

In 1998, I started going to Kindergarten at Wright Elementary School. I immediately realized I didn't fit in with the rest of the class. None of the other children had a birthmark like mine. On the top of my right shoulder was a red, circumscribed letter A in comic sans font. My teachers asked my mother about it, who simply told them I was born with it. Oh, I almost forgot! Not only could I read and annotate college English material, but I could read it in three other languages.

A few days before my sixth birthday, I came home to find my mother sitting silently in her favorite green armchair, staring at a letter in shock. I went up to her and asked, "Mommy, what's wrong? You look surprised…and a little upset."

She picked me up, sat me on her lap, and kissed my forehead gently. "Mommy's fine. Mommy just…got a letter from an old, old friend."

I didn't ask who the letter was from; it wasn't like it was any of my business from whom she received mail. However, she told me later on, much sooner than I expected.

Three days later, on a very special Saturday morning, I woke up at ten o' clock with a smile on my face. I was now six years old. I ran down the stairs and into the living-room to find Mommy waiting beside a pile of wonderfully-wrapped presents. "Go ahead and open them, sweetie."

Within the next hour, I found my mother had bought me a new dress, more books, and a science kit. "Thank you so much, Mommy." I hugged her lovingly.

"I still have one present for you to unwrap, Mia." Mommy pulled a very small gift wrapped in Batman wrapping paper from behind her back. "This is a very special present, Mia."

I took the present and ripped off the wrapping paper to find a small velvet box. I took the cover off the box and inside was a beautiful 24 karat gold locket necklace imbedded with four ½-karat diamonds. I opened the locket and softly it began to play the melody of _Memory_, the song my mother sang to me to help me sleep at night. Inside was a picture of my mother and…a funny-looking man. "Mommy, who is that?"

"That's your daddy," she explained, "His name is Ozzie."

I frowned a little. "Mommy, he looks like…"

She interrupted me before I could finish speaking my observation. "I know. He looks like a cartoon." Mommy sighed. "I believe you're old enough to know about this." She handed me the letter she had been reading three days earlier. "This was from your father. Go ahead and read it, Mia."

I took the letter and began reading aloud:

"Darling Mona, October 17, 1999

I can't wait for the day we see each other again. I have spent the past six years dreaming of our reunion and whom our Mia resembles. Does she look like me or you? I hope she looks just like you. How smart is she? Is she fitting in well at school? Did you give her the locket I sent for her yet? Did you tell her about Animatown?

Mona, darling, you haven't written to me in four years, probably because I never replied to the last letter you wrote in 1995. I know it may have seemed rude to you at the time, but F.O.W.L. agents have been hot on my trail for the last couple years, so I'm sure you now understand the delay. I believe they intercepted one of our letters, one where we spoke in detail of Mia's peculiar birthmark. At least, I'm sure that's what Steelbeak was talking about when he almost had me cornered. If their suspicions are correct, Mia will fulfill the prophecy. Please, Mona, keep an eye on our daughter whenever possible. Make sure she understands not to talk to strangers and to let you know if someone approaches her. If F.O.W.L. gets hold of her, it's very unlikely she'll survive.

Here's another important warning to heed: The Decepticons have grown wary of Mia and believe she will fulfill _their_ prophecy. I'm quite sure we both know how seriously endangering that is for the Chosen One. All the good citizens of Animatown have agreed to protect Mia in any way they can, so don't be afraid to ask them for help.

I have to go now, my peach. Wish dear Mia all my love. I'll wait for eternity to see my little girl if I have to. Don't worry; I still love you, _mon coeur._

All my life,

All my love.

Ozzie "

"F.O.W.L….Steelbeak…Decepticons…?" I looked up at my mother. "I'm a cartoon?"

"Actually, you're half cartoon, half human." Mommy sighed. She sat in her green armchair and sat me in her lap. "When I was twenty-one years old, my life had been ruined, and I wanted nothing more than to leave this wretched world behind and live in a magic world of my own. One day, I came across an opening to another world on a brick wall. Curious, I climbed through the Tear in Time and Space and landed in Animatown. That's how I met your dad."

"What's Animatown like?" I asked her.

Mommy laughed warmly. "It's a beautiful place, Mia, filled with every cartoon character ever created. While I was there, I met Batman."

"Really?" I was thrilled.

"Yes, and I met Mickey Mouse, Tarzan, Penguin…"

I gasped. "You met Penguin?"

She laughed again. "Well…" She didn't get to finish. A knock on the door startled both of us. "I'm not expecting anyone," she mumbled to herself. To the visitor, she said, "I'll be there in a minute." She set me down on the floor. "Go wait for me in my bedroom until I'm done talking with our guest."

I ran to her bedroom and hid under her bed. When she opened the door and started talking to the stranger, I could hear the conversation perfectly. "Can I help you, sir?"

"Hello, Ms. Demone." The voice of the visitor was male and sounded gangster-like. "My company and I are here to inspect your home for possible leaks." In my opinion, he pronounced his e's in an odd fashion.

"What kind of leaks?" asked Mommy. She sounded nervous.

"Gas leaks, water leaks…" I heard him pull something out and make it click. "Animatown leaks."

"St-St-St-…"She stuttered.

"Long time, no see, Mona." I heard him laugh an annoying laugh that sounded more like a cough. "Six years since ya been in Animatown and you're still de most beautiful girl I've ever had de pleasure of layin' eyes on. You haven't changed one bit, Mona."

"Neither have you," Mommy said coldly.

"Now, now, Mona; is dat any way treat an old friend? I mean, we came all de way to Eart from Animatown just to pick up sometin'."

"You're no friend of mine, and I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Oh, well, dat's not what we're here for. We've come to Eart for your darlin' daughter, Mona. Now, where is Mia?"

"Try her grandmother's house," she replied icily.

Steelbeak laughed again. "We bot know Mia ain't got no family odder dan you and Ozzie. Now, tell me where she is before I get angry."

Mommy was silent.

"Where is Mia, Mona?" He sounded very annoyed. "Eggmen! Search de house and if you find Mia, bring her here."

I could hear things being torn apart in the Eggmen's search for me. It was a good five minutes before the door burst open and a figure in an orange jumpsuit and white helmet stepped inside the room. I watched his every move, making sure he didn't ruin anything that belonged to my mother. The figure dropped down on his knees and stuck a hand under the bed, which I skillfully avoided for about ten seconds. It was then a finger brushed against my face and I reacted in a way I never thought I would; I bit him, and I bit him hard.

The man yelped and jumped back in shock. Knowing more Eggmen were going to be in here soon, I fled. Eggmen filled the hallway, so I ran toward the living-room in hopes of escape. I turned to see if any Eggmen were following me and ran smack into another figure, only this one was dressed in a white jacket and black slacks. "Nice of you to join us."

Two Eggmen grabbed my arms and lifted me to my feet as the figure, which I identified as the cartoon rooster Steelbeak, continued to talk. "So this lovely little tyke is Mia Angelina Démone. Nice." He looked me over from head to toe, holding his gun carelessly. "She looks just like you, Mona."

I wouldn't look up into his face, so he lifted my chin so he could see my face. His eyes were dark and sinister enough I couldn't tell their true color. That wasn't what terrified me, though. Instead of having a normal beak, or what was accepted as a normal beak in the cartoon world, he had one made completely of metal. "She has her fadder's eyes."

"She has his spirit, too."

The rooster laughed. "She hides, too, just like her mudder and fadder. After all, Ozzie is hidin' somewhere in de Orient right now."

"Leave my mother alone, vous le coq incompétent avec une bouche plus grande que sa tête!" I yelled at him.

"Mia!" My mother was shocked to hear me use another language to insult someone.

"Vous sentez et votre tête est la façon trop grande pour votre corps!"

"Mia, stop that!" she told me.

I couldn't stop though. "Je vous déteste, Steelbeak! Partir ma mère seul maintenant!"

"Kid, you're a lot braver dan any kid I've ever come against, and certainly one of de most intelligent I've met, but you're being too loud." He back-handed me across the face and I did everything in my power not to show my pain. "You know, Mona, she'd make a great agent, especially for translating for the foreign exchange agents."

"Leave my daughter alone!" Mommy rushed at the villainous rooster, hatred filling her eyes. The two enemies scuffled on the floor, a gunshot rang through the house, and all were silent.


	2. Finding Animatown

For a moment, no one moved or made a sound. Even the Eggmen were silent as we all waited to see who would come out victorious. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, the rooster rose from the floor and dropped the gun. "Oh, no. Dis wasn't supposed ta happen!"

"Mommy!" I kicked the Eggman holding me back in the shin. His grip loosened as he howled in pain, and I ran to my mother's side. An Eggman started toward me, but the rooster held him back.

"She's not goin' anywhere. Let her be."

I sat down and hugged my mother's body. I held her hand as I cried over her wound. Suddenly I realized she was holding my locket and her letter. I took the locket and put it on.

"All my life, all my love," I whispered. I kissed her gently on the cheek as I quickly grabbed the letter and stashed it in my pocket.

"Kid." Steelbeak knelt beside me. "Kid, I'm truly sorry. I didn't mean for dis ta happen."

"The gun wasn't supposed to go off, so I don't blame you for this," I replied simply, "I know you didn't mean to kill her."

We sat in silence for a few moments before he said, "Come on, kid. Get what you need. Dere's no point in you stayin' here." The rooster put his hand on my shoulder.

I wiped my tears away on my pajama sleeve. I stood up and asked, "What should I bring?"

Steelbeak sighed. "Pack your clothes and a couple toys. You're gonna live wit me…Mia."

"Can I bring some of my books?" I asked.

He stood up and looked deep in my eyes, as if he was trying to tell if I was serious. "If you can fit them in the suitcase after packing it, and please, change into something a little more decent."

"Yes, sir." I grabbed Mommy's suitcase from her room and dragged it into my room. Under the watchful eye of the rooster, I packed all my clothes (which were very few), my favorite teddy bear, and a picture of me and Mommy at Christmas time the year before. I changed quickly and decided I had room in the suitcase for two books and my journal.

Steelbeak was star struck when he saw what two books I chose. "_Moby Dick_ and _De Great Gatsby_? Are you sure you can read dis stuff?"

"Of course," I replied, setting them on top of my clothes, "I've read them before. They're my two favorites."

"Do you mind if I read your journal while you get your tootbrush?" When I told him I didn't mind, he picked it up and began reading through it. As I placed my toothbrush in a baggy and into my suitcase, he said, "How long have you been able to read and understand dis stuff? It's college material stuff!"

"Well," I said, thinking hard about it, "I read those when I was four years old, so at least two years."

"This is amazin'! You are the world's most intelligent six-year-old. F.O.W.L. would love to get deir hands on you." He closed the journal and sat it on top of my other books. Are you goin' to be able to carry dis ting?"

"Let's see." I closed the suitcase and tried to lift it. It was impossible. "I guess not, sir."

"Eggman!" he yelled. One of the soldiers ran in. "Carry Mia's suitcase to da Tear. It's too big for her." The Eggman struggled, but managed to carry the suitcase down the street.

Steelbeak grabbed my hand and led me out the door and down the street. As we made our way to the 'Tear', I grew curious of this villain. Most bad guys were supposed to be cold-hearted and hate everyone. This rooster cared enough to take me in. "I…" I started, "I don't know your name, sir."

"Nobody knows my real name," he replied, "My field agent codename is Steelbeak."

"Oh." That made sense to me. He led me down a dark alley where a giant black void lay on the center of a brick wall. "What do I call you, sir?"

"Uncle Steelbeak, I suppose." He stepped through the Tear, along with his twelve Eggmen. When I hesitated he came back out and said, "Come on, Mia. You can do it."

I looked at him uncertainly. "How do I know I'll land in Animatown?"

Steelbeak knelt down to look me in the eye. "Mia, unless you take a chance at anyting, you'll never know what coulda happened." He stood up and held out his hand. "Do you trust me?"

Nervously, I took his hand as he led me through the Tear. We landed softly in a beautiful patch of green grass just outside of a large city. As we all dusted ourselves off, I forgot about Earth for a moment. It wasn't hard to forget, either, as I watched toons of all kinds playing and having fun in the colorful streets.

After I had been watching them for several minutes, I said, "They all look so happy."

Steelbeak walked up beside me. "Dat's because dey are happy, Mia. Good toons are always happy, just like bad toons are always mad or unhappy."

I was quiet for a moment, and then I asked him a question. "What are you, Steelbeak?" Not quite ready to call him 'Uncle', I looked up into the rooster's eyes.

"I'm…somewhere in de middle. Come on." Steelbeak led me to a black building just outside the city. "I have ta talk wit High Command about you and…and your mudder."

"What exactly is this High Command? Are they in total control of this town?" I asked curiously.

"Dey wish," he replied as we entered the building, "High Command is a board with tree members in charge of the F.O.W.L. organization alone. At dis very moment in time, de members of High Command are using de agents as a tool to try and gain control of Animatown. As a group, de members decide which F.O.W.L. field agent is best suited for de newest mission."

"What type of missions does F.O.W.L. execute?"

He was silent for a moment as we walked down a shadowy corridor. "F.O.W. crimes. Crimes of all sorts. Dat's why F.O.W.L. stands for Fiendish Organization for World Larceny."

I gasped as he opened a door that led to a dark, dark room. "I have one question before we go in there, Steelbeak." I looked up at him again. "Did Mommy ever work for F.O.W.L?"

He sighed. "Only for a little while when she first arrived, before she knew we were bad. When she realized we were committing crimes, she ran off and hid from us."

"Why'd she hide?"

"Because," he said, leading me inside the room, "If a person quits F.O.W.L., dey can't be aloud to live outside de perimeter. Dey have ta stay in our prison for de rest of deir natural lives." We stepped inside a small lighted area in the middle of the room.

Suddenly, another light lit up and I looked up. Very clearly, I could see the silhouettes of a giant desk and three cartoons. I immediately assumed they were the three members Steelbeak had mentioned earlier. I would never know what they really looked like. "Good job, Agent Steelbeak. You brought us the hybrid child." The first one spoke with a voice so cold, chills ran up and down my spine and I felt as if I had been frost-bitten. "However, it seems as if you over-looked a detail in your mission. Where's the child's mother, Agent Steelbeak?"

Steelbeak straightened his tie and pulled at his collar. Anyone could tell he was afraid of High Command, especially since he had some issues with completing the entirety of his mission. "High Command, it is a pleasure to stand before you today with the hybrid child, and might I add how easy it was to capture the little…"

"Enough with the pleasantries, Steelbeak." The second member's voice was more cultured, but was still frozen. "Where is the child's mother? Where is Mona Guinn Démone, Agent Steelbeak? We want an explanation for why she is absent and we want it now!" He banged his fist on the desk, and the sound echoed throughout the room.

"She's dead!" I shouted out. The tears had been running down my cheeks for some time now, but it was then I finally broke down in misery.

"When your precious Agent Steelbeak came to Earth, he said he had only come for me, probably believing my mother would come along to make sure nothing bad happened to me. She didn't, though. She rushed at him and during the struggle, the gun fired and killed my mother."

I wiped away my tears and glared ferociously at High Command. "She died trying to protect me from all of you and your evil ways, and you all act as if she wasn't worth a cent. You send lackeys to do your dirty work so you won't endanger your useless lives. She was braver than any of you will ever be!"

"Silence, Halfling!" the third member shouted, "You have no right to speak to High Command. If you continue to speak in contempt toward High Command, you will be executed."

"Wait!" Steelbeak's annoying voice rang out above all of our shouts and arguments. "Wait a minute, everybody! De gun went off in my hands; I admit to de deed. Accordin' to de rules of Animatown, I have to raise young Mia here until she reaches de sweet old age of nineteen, and…" He said this word with major emphasis. "…and she can't be harmed by any of our operatives or any one else in Animatown."

I glared at Steelbeak in rage. He was only planning on taking care of me instead of leaving me on Earth because it was in the rulebook, not because he cared.

The members of High Command stood. "You do realize, Agent Steelbeak," said the third in his monotone voice, "If you do chose to raise this Halfling child for the next thirteen years, you are jeopardizing your position for best field agent?"

"Why couldn't I bring Mia along wit me on my missions?" Steelbeak asked. "It could be like…on-de-job trainin'."

"We've never tried training agents at such a young age," whispered the first member.

"It may be more successful than waiting until a person is twenty," replied the second member.

"Mia will be our test subject on the idea," the third member said aloud,

"But what does young Mia expect in return?"

I thought about it for a moment. "Well, I would like…my own paycheck, if you please."

The three members looked at each other in astonishment. "What would a six-year old Halfling want with its own paycheck?" asked the first member.

It was my turn to look astonished. "Why…to buy my own books, journals, and art supplies."

"We can give you picture books and crayons," said the second member dismissively.

"Wait a minute, High Command." Steelbeak signaled the Eggman with my suitcase to come here. "Just because Mia is a child doesn't mean she ain't intelligent. As she was packin' her suitcase, I noticed some very interestin' pieces of literature dat she chose ta bring along wit her."

Steelbeak opened the suitcase and pulled out not only my two reads, but also my personal diary. "Ya see dese two books?" He held up the two older books. "Dese two books she read when she was four. Dey are _Moby Dick_ and _De Great Gatsby_. Dis book in my odder hand is her personal diary, which I had de honor of scannin' trough. Dere are many spots were she speaks of her life, but mostly dis diary is filled wit poems she wrote and reviews of stories she has read."

He opened the diary to my most recent entry. " 'My views on _De Great Gatsby_'," he read aloud, " 'In general, I enjoyed reading dis book and would recommend it to just about anyone. I was interested in de author's choice of symbolism and tought de green light was a great symbol of de American Dream. I also loved and at de same time hated de irony of the swimmin' pool. Poor Gatsby. He didn't use dat swimmin' pool all summer, and when he does use it, he is shot and killed.'"

"It continues, but I tink you've heard enough. When a six-year old kid can not only read college-level literature, but can also understand de literary elements, I would tink you's guys would see an opportunity. If dis kid is dis intelligent at de age of six, just imagine how intelligent de kid would be in thirteen years. She'd be extraordinary!"

I glared at Steelbeak. Once again, he had proven to me that he didn't care about me. He was only worried about how much of an asset I would be to F.O.W.L. There was no way I was going to work with that jerk.

"Agent Steelbeak," said the third member, "High Command has decided that you can train Mia as an agent and she will receive the same wages as you so she can further her education of both worlds."

He then turned to me and said, "Mia Démone, would you be willing to train as an agent, since you have no immediate family? We now give you permission to speak."

"What would happen if I chose not?" I asked. I was not at all happy with Steelbeak; working with him was going to be murder.

"You would be executed, if not sent to prison for the rest of your natural life," replied the first coldly.

I thought for a moment. "Fine."

"Do you agree to all the terms or have any questions?" asked the second.

" Where will my living quarters be located?"

"You will be living with Agent Steelbeak at his home in town," he replied.

My temper was rising. "Then I cannot accept your terms, gentlemen."

"Why?" they all asked at once.

"I can _not_ live with someone who is only worried about what he has to do and how much of an asset I would be to the organization. I can't live with someone who doesn't even care that my mother is lying dead in her house." I finally broke down and cried openly. I no longer cared if they were watching.

Steelbeak came and knelt before me. "Mia, I know ya miss your modder, and I miss her as much, if not more dan, you do. She was a very special woman, more dan you realize at dis point. I'm not tryin' to replace her, Mia. I don't wancha thinkin' I don't care about ya eider. I was hopin' I could be a fadder to ya, but if dat's not de way ya want it, den I could settle wit bein' your friend." He looked me in the eyes. "Are you okay wit dat, Mia?"

I sniffed. "As long as you stop referring to me as the 'kid' and stop worrying so much about how much I could help out the organization."

I held out my hand and he shook it firmly. "It's a deal."


	3. Settling In

Steelbeak and I walked hand-in-hand down the main street of Animatown, the Eggmen lugging my suitcase not far behind. As we strolled, I absorbed my surroundings in awe. Thousands of cartoons from different eras and countries were swarming the beautiful city. I laughed in glee as I watched Speedy Gonzales and Asterix race off into the horizon. "I'll bet you twenty bucks Speedy will win," I told Steelbeak.

"I'll take dat bet, Mia." We shook hands on it, and Speedy came back triumphant. As he handed over twenty dollars, he asked me, "How'd you know Speedy would win?"

"Simple," I replied as I put the cash in my pocket, "I watched Asterix trip and fall."

We came to a darker side of town, where the villains usually lived. I gulped and hid behind Steelbeak as criminals and supernatural freaks popped out of nowhere. An enormous lady with bushy eyebrows and a handerchief on her head greeted Steelbeak. "Long time, no hear, Steely. Where have you been hiding?"

"First of all, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop callin' me 'Steely'." Steelbeak shuddered as he said the word. "Second, I had business to take care of in de odder world." He gestured toward me. "Ammonia Pine, meet Mia Démone."

Ammonia Pine leaned down so we were face to face. "So this is Mona's offspring. Nice ta meet ya, kid." She took my hand, sanatized it, then shook it firmly.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Pine. I hope we'll see each other often," I told her, though I didn't mean it.

We continued on our walk and, eventually, we ran into Bruce Wayne. "Hello, little one. I'm Bruce Wayne. Who are you?"

I smiled. "I'm Mia Démone, Mister Wayne. It's a pleasure to meet you." I held out my hand and he shook it firmly.

"Mia Démone, as in Mona's daughter?" Bruce looked from me to Steelbeak then back to me. "I met your mother when she first arrived in Animatown. She taught me different languages. Parlez-vous français?"

I looked up at Steelbeak, who nodded in consent. "Oui monsieur. Je parle français tres bien."

"Ça va, mademoiselle?"

"Tres bien, monsieur, merci. Est-tu?"

"Bien, merci." Bruce smiled. "Your mother taught you very well, Mia. Maybe I can learn some French from you. See you around."

I waved as Bruce continued down the street, then Steelbeak led me to an enormous mansion near the edge of town. "Well, here we are, kid."

"This is where you live?"

"Is dere sometin' wrong?"

I blushed in embarassment. "W-well, I always thought villains lived in places like old warehouses...or the sewers. I never imagined one would live in a home so...extravagent."

Steelbeak laughed as he led me inside. "It could be worse, kid. We could be livin' in de sewers. Come wit me upstairs; I'll show you to your room. You're gonna love de view."

I followed Steelbeak up the grand staircase and I was followed by the struggling Eggmen. "I've never seen a place this big before!"

"If you tink dis place is big, you should see Wayne Manor. It's enormous! I tink you could fit dis house in dere ten times over and still have room for an elephant or tree." Steelbeak opened a door to a room so dark, it seemed like the shadows were leaking onto the lighted hallway. I tried to enter, but Steelbeak prevented it. "Hold on a second, Mia." He stepped inside and the shadows consumed him.

The Eggmen and I waited only a few moments before light flooded the room and we had to shield our eyes. I peered in and realized it had only been Steelbeak turning on the lights. "Why wouldn't you let me go inside, Uncle Steelbeak?"

He motioned for us to enter. "'Cuz, you have to be careful on dis side of town, Mia. A whole army can hide in dis room in de dark and you wouldn't know until it was too late. Alway proceed wit caution."

I entered the room and was amazed by its magnificence. A dark black-cherry wood wardrobe stood magnificently in the southwest corner, a four-poster bed sat beautifully in the northeast corner, and the west wall was made up of several windows and a set of glass doors that led out to a stone balcony. "It's beautiful!"

"Yeah, I tought ya'd like it, Mia. I even made sure de walls were bare so you could paint pictures and we could hang dem up for everyone ta see. Now, de Eggmen put your suitcase on your bed, so ya can get unpacked and I'll be back wit a surprise for ya." Steelbeak followed the Eggmen out of my room.

I began unpacking my suitcase by putting my mother's picture, my books, and my journal on the nightstand. I wiped a tear off my cheek as I was reminded why I was here. I looked around the room and found myself gazing over at the glass doors leading out to the balcony, which reminded me of Steelbeak mentioning how much I would love the view. I had a flashback moment there, recalling a year or two back when my mother had told me how beautiful the ocean was and how one day, she would take me to see it during sunrise or sunset. "It's so beautiful, Mia," she had said to me, "It's like the colors of the sun melt into the ocean's waters and together they create a whole new picture."

_If only Mom could see it with me_, I thought to myself as I slowly crossed over to the glass doors. I opened them and took a step out onto the balcony. _This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen! If I can just go a little farther. . ._

"Mia!" Steelbeak's outburst startled me. "Mia, please! Don't go out dere after sunset!"

"Why, Uncle Steelbeak? Is there something wrong?" I realized my words were unnecessary the moment I spoke them, for at that moment, a long, dark shadow loomed over spot on which I know stood. I turned around and gazed upward into the face of a giant metal man. Not knowing whether this creature was friend or foe, I gradually backed up toward the doors.

In one swift movement, the enormous robot swiped me and brought me closer to his face, as if wanting a closer inspection. "This is the hybrid child Megatron is so worried about? I have fought animals and machines five times your size and I didn't break a sweat."

I swallowed a deep breath of air. "You...can't sweat."

"What did you say, germ?" Apparently, these robots found humans disgusting.

"I...I said that y-you can't sweat. Y-you're a r-robot, and robots don't have sweat g-glands and are th-therefore uncapable of producing sweat." I knew this wasn't a good time to recite useless information, but I was hoping it might confuse the robot.

"Thank you for stating that, Miss Obvious." This was definitely the most sarcastic creature I had ever run across and it would be for the rest of my life. "Now, if you're done spouting off useless information in order to buy yourself some time or to confuse me into forgetting to kill you, I'm going to finish the job I've come to conduct." He began squeezing the air out of my lungs.

"Starscream, put dat girl down right now!" I squinted down at the balcony to see my new guardian holding a large bazooka, pointing it steadily at the robot's chest region. "I'm warning you, Starscream. If you don't put Mia down right now, I'll..."

"You'll what? Shoot me with your pathetic weaponry?" Starscream laughed maniacally. "You know your guns won't be anything more than a tickle to a Decepticon. Face it, Metal Mouth. You can't stop me from killing the Chosen One."

"No, but de white Decepticon wit de really big gun standin' behind you might be able ta do sometin' ta stop you," replied Steelbeak with a grin.

Starscream turned around and, just like Steelbeak had said, a white metal robot with a really big gun was standing right behind him. Starscream jumped back in surprise and, in his shock, let me drop. I missed the balcony, but was able to grab the ledge and prevent myself from certain death for the moment as the white robot began to speak. "What do you think you are doing here without my permission, Starscream?"

Starscream shrugged as he tried to keep his cool. "Well, Megatron, you were talking about how much trouble this kid was going to be now that she's actually living in Animetown. I thought I'd come over and end the problem before it began."

Megatron was not amused. "You're an idiot, Starscream." He stepped past Starscream, grabbed me by my tee-shirt, and set me gently on the balcony. "She's under the protection of Animetown rule fifty-six; 'If a cartoon kills another unintentionally, he or she must take over the other's duty as caretaker of any children, properties, and/or belongings.' "

"Thank you, Mister Megatron."

He fixed his deadly gaze on me. "Don't be too quick to thank me, human. The time will come when you will be hunted by me and my men. Starscream, transform and get out of here." The two evil Decepticons transformed and flew out into the night.

Steelbeak checked for any broken bones. "Are you alright, Mia?"

I tested out my limbs and searched my skin for any possible inscissions. "Other than a few slight scrapes and an inch-long cut, I don't believe there is any sufferable damage, Uncle Steelbeak. Thanks for trying to rescue me."

Steelbeak smiled. "It was de best I could do for a friend. Are we in dis togeder as a team or what?"

I shook his hand firmly. "As a team." We started to leave the balcony when I realized something. "Hey, Uncle Steelbeak, what was the surprise?"

He looked at me for a second as if I had been extremely random in my thinking, which I probably was, but said, "I brought up a canvas so ya could start paintin' right away. I guess I forgot about it durin' all de excitement."

I followed him back into my room and gently shut the glass doors behind me. As I did this, I made a mental note that would be imprinted in my mind for the rest of my life. _Never go out on the balcony after sunset. _Never, never, never!!!


	4. Calamitous Dilemmas

**TWO YEARS LATER…**

I stood next to an abandoned car as I awaited the signal from my Uncle Steelbeak. Within two weeks of living with him, I had learned everything I had needed to know to become a F.O.W.L. agent and within a year I had ranked as high as he did, which was pretty high.

I looked at the reflection in the car window and smiled. The day before had been my ninth birthday, and I believed I had grown sufficiently. Not only had I grown in height, but over the past three years I had grown to look more and more cartoon. I even had four fingers instead of five! The interesting part about becoming a cartoon was the fact that different cartoons had different types of animation. For example, while the F.O.W.L. agents were drawn, Jimmy Neutron, my fellow genius friend, was computer animated. Also, Wallace and Gromit were clay animation and when I was with any of my friends in their section of town, I became that type of animation.

"Mia."

I turned around, ready to attack if necessary, to find Uncle Steelbeak standing there. "You shouldn't sneek up on a person like that, Uncle Steelbeak," I whispered, "You're liable to get yourself hurt."

Uncle Steelbeak smiled. "If I didn't sneek up on ya," he said quietly, "Where would I get my kicks?"

I shook my head and turned to the bank we were going to rob. "I still don't understand why we're robbing a bank! That's small time business for us, the Dynamic Duo of Crime.What does High Command have going through their heads?"

"Dey're short on funds, so ta speak. If we don't rob dis bank an odder places, dey'll have ta cut everyone's paychecks."

I sighed. Uncle Steelbeak was always worried about his salary. Me? All I cared about was the thrill of the chase, the excitement of the hunt, and how fast I acheived my goal. "Then let's hurry and get this over with. This part of town is usually crowded with police at night and I really don't feel like running into trouble tonight."

Uncle Steelbeak knelt beside me so we were at eye level. "I need you to go inside, avoid de security, and get into de control room. Once you're in dere, you'll be able ta turn off all security cameras and devices. Den you need ta find out where de main vault is and lead me to it so I can crack it. We'll take as much money as possible, den leave for High Command. You got dat?"

I pulled on my mask. "Got it, boss." I flipped over the car and said, "Start timing me as soon as I get inside," just before I ran up the steps. I pulled out my grappling hook and tossed it up toward a window ledge. It lodged into place and I carefully pulled myself up onto the ledge. The window in front of me was rather large; in fact, it was taller and wider than I was. I pulled out my glass cutter and cut out a circle with a 30-inch radius. I set the glass piece carefully on the ledge, then climbed effortlessly through the hole.

I landed quietly on a chair and looked around. There were dozens of filecabinets everywhere, with security cameras attached to the sides of every other one. I jumped up onto the filecabinets and padded my way across the room as I searched for the control room. In my search, I noticed a giant vault with a sign above it which read: MAIN VAULT."At least I know where it is ahead of time so I save some time." It was then I saw the control room in the North-East corner and immediately headed for it. I jumped off the cabinets and opened the door.

Thousands of buttons, knobs, and levers filled the room and I knew it was going to be difficult to find one little button to shut them all off. I looked over at the central control system and noticed a giant red button which red: MAIN POWER SHUT OFF SWITCH. Okay, so finding it was less difficult than I'd anticipated. I tried pushing down on it, but the button wouldn't budge. I stepped onto the control panel and jumped on the button, causing everything to turn off at once, "Well, that waas easy," I said, hopping off the panel and exiting the control room.

I ran to the front door and let in Uncle Steelbeak. "Fifteen seconds. A new record, Mia."

I merely shrugged as I led him to the main vault. I kept an eye out for trouble as Uncle Steelbeak used his equiptment to crack the safe. It was a little too quiet for my taste, so when Uncle Steelbeak opened the vault, I jumped. "Could you be a little quieter, Uncle Steelbeak? I don't think you want the cops finding out that quickly who's to blame."

"Den hurry up and grab a sac." He tossed me a burlap bag before he started shoving stacks of bills into his own bag. "High Command wants dis place cleaned out."

"Then why didn't they ask Ammonia Pine to do this bank heist?" I asked jokingly as I started filling my sack. We had completely cleaned out the vault and I was just closing the door when a noise alerted me we weren't the only ones in the bank. "Uncle Steelbeak, I think it's time to bail out," I whispered, but when I turned to look at him where I had last seen him, he was gone. "Uncle Steelbeak?"

Suddenly, a bright light flashed in my eyes and I was momentarily blinded. "Alright, kid. Put down the bag and raise your hands in the air." Unable to do anything else, I did as the officer told me to.

"So you're the new member of F.O.W.L., huh?" The police officer came closer for a better inspection and I noticed he was holding a .9 mm. "I never would've thought they'd start agents this young. Do you have a partner, kid?"

"How do you know I didn't do it alone?" I asked him. "I'm a big girl. I can get a job done on my own."

"I doubt that very highly," he replied. "If you tell who your partner is, the court will show leniency."

I smiled. "I'll take my chances, copper."

He was about to reply when a shot rang out throughout the building. His eyes opened wide before he fell to the ground at my feet. I looked up to see Steelbeak blowing the smoke out of his gun. "Come on, Mia, before more cops get here."

I couldn't move, though. I was staring too intently at the poor man in front of me, dead and lying in the pool of his own blood that was slowly forming. This man was doing his job and _was killed._ He took his chances and it cost him his life. If I had only done something, he might of...

"Mia, let's go!" Steelbeak grabbed my arm in one hand and the sack of money in the other and took me to the car. He let me get in the passenger side as he threw the sack in the back seat with his. As soon as I had buckled up, he peeled away from the scene. "What in de world were ya doin' back dere, Mia?" he asked me. "You just kept starin' at de cop, like you actually cared what happened ta him."

I was in too much of a shock to reply. All I could say was, "Why did you kill him?"

Steelbeak glanced at me for a second before he continued watching the road. "He woulda told de odder cops F.O.W.L. was behind de robberies, Mia. Besides, dat cop got what was comin' to him."

I stared out the window at nothing so Steelbeak couldn't see the pain and anger I felt for him. He had _purposely_ killed that poor cop, that person merely doing his job. Earlier in my life, Steelbeak had killed my mother on accident and although I was upset, I forgave him. Now, he had intentionally killed an innocent life, and now there was nothing that could ever make me forgive him for doing it. He was a murderer in my eyes, and he always would be.

We arrived at F.O.W.L. headquarters and Steelbeak put the car in park. "Get de sacks outta de back."

I didn't reply, but did what I was told. The bags felt filthy in my hands and it was all I could do to hold onto them until we reached the main room. I dropped the sacks on the floor and looked up at the three members I depised so greatly. They called me by a codename they had chosen for me because I hated it: Demon.

"Good work, Agents Steelbeak and Demon." The middle person was speaking. "Tomorrow night we need the two of you to clear out the Jewelry Exchange down town. They will sell for big bucks on the black market."

"No."

Every head in the room turned in my direction. Steelbeak gulped. "W-What did ya say, Mia?"

I glared at him. "I said, 'No.' Is that one word so difficult for you to comprehend? Do I need to speak slower for you? I said, 'No.' "

The middle member shifted in his seat. "Why the sudden change of heart, Agent Demon?"

"Do I need a reason? It's very simple. I decided I don't want to work for F.O.W.L. anymore. I quit. I resign. I'm done as a villain. I retire. Is that clear enough for you?"

Steelbeak pulled at his collar. "I wish you would've consulted me first, Mia."

I whipped around to face him. "CONSULTED YOU?! You were the idiot who killed a man with no excuse whatsoever! I may not have been so upset with this if he was going to shoot either of us, but the most he was going to do was arrest me, and I wasn't going to reveal any information about F.O.W.L.. I wasn't going to squeal on my partner, either. Heck, I would've rather spent time in prison than rat out on F.O.W.L. Now that I know that you actually kill people intentionally, I want nothing to do with you or F.O.W.L."

"We're sorry you feel that way, Agent Demon. Eggmen, take her to the prison. Give her the tiger mark, then lock her up for the rest of her natural life." The middle member sounded as if he had expected me to turn eventually.

The Eggmen grabbed me roughly by the shoulders and dragged me down into the depths of the prison, where an enormous Eggman with a white-hot iron waited in front of the cell. "Branding time, Demon," he said in a deep menacing voice. The other Eggmen held me still as the Big One pressed the iron into my left arm. I never knew a time before in my life when I had hurt so bad or screamed so loud. They dragged me into the cell and chained my feet to the wall. They threw in a pan of filthy water and a stale slice of bread.

I sat down and stared at the water dish, holding my shoulder and letting the tears land in the water. Amazingly, the guards had allowed me to keep my watch, but they took away my locket, saying it now belonged to Steelbeak. Ten minutes after my arrival, I received a visitor. "Hey, kid."

I wouldn't look up at Steelbeak. "What do you want?"

"I thought you'd like some company, Mia." I heard the cell door opened and his feet came into my view of the water dish. "How are ya?"

"I'm now officially hurting on the inside _and_ the outside. Thanks for asking."

He bent down until he was on one knee. "I truly am sorry, Mia. Here, let me see dat burn." I let him move my hand so he could look at it. "Dat does look like a tiger clawed at ya. I've got some coolagent ta put on it, and a rag to keep it from getting infected." He applied these things as he spoke.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked him, wincing as the creme touched my burn.

"I want you ta be healthy, Mia." He tied the rag firmly around my arm.

I shook my head. "Not taking care of the wound, Steelbeak. Pretending to actually care that I exist. You could've shown some kind of sympathy or attempted to save me from being thrown in the dungeon. You could've risked your job, but no. You cared more about your job and what needed to be done, not what I needed from you. You don't really care about me and my health, and I don't think you ever did."

Steelbeak was shocked. He was a good actor, I'd given him that much. "But, Mia, I really do care about you."

"Get out of my cell, Steelbeak," I told him, shrinking away from his touch. "Get out and don't ever come back in here."

Steelbeak stood and put his hand on my shoulder. "Mia, I..."

"GET OUT NOW!!" I jumped up and chased him out of my cell, and out of my life.

The next two years progressed in a similar manner. I was fed stale bread and water two times a day and was beaten and abused in evil ways by the guards. Steelbeak tried to visit me, remembering to stay on the other side of the bars. Some days I would run at him and try to grab him through the bars. Most of the time, though, I would cuddle up in the corner and cry as I merely listened to Steelbeak's claim's of loving and caring for me. Winters were rough, since I only had a cloth and some straw as a bed.

My life - and luck - changed October 25th, 2006 on my thirteenth birthday. It was in the late evening after my nighttime beating from the Big One. I drew a big birthday cake with ten candles and the words HAPPY 13TH BIRTHDAY MIA!! written on the side. "Another year gone by and my birthday's still not a happy one." I let my tears fall onto the candles, the only way their fake flames would be extinguished without ruining the drawing.

"It will be a happy birthday this year, Mia Angelina Démone."

I jumped to my feet and turned around to try and find the person who spoke. "Who's in here?"

"A person who doesn't want to see the prodigy of Mona die away like the flames on your cake."

A man stepped out of the shadows from the one corner of my cell. I gasped in both surprise and fear, for after years of watching Batman, it was impossible for me not to recognize the villainous villain. "What do you want from me, Penguin?"

"I owe Mona a favor and as a Cobblepot I want to return the favor by saving your butt and getting you back to Earth." He used the point of his umbrella weapon the pick the lock on the shackles on my feet. "Hurry, and come with me. We don't have much time to get you out of here before the guards notice you're gone."

Grateful to be finally leaving the dungeon, I followed Penguin silently through the passageways to the outside of the building. Although I was thrilled to be out in the moonlight, I continued following my rescuer to the outskirts of town where an old brick building lay half in ruins.

Penguin pointed his umbrella weapon at one of the solid brick walls and the Tear opened miraculously. I turned from the hole to him and asked, "How did you do that?"

He shrugged. "All cartoons, plus your mother, can open the Tear. Maybe you'll be able to come back to Animatown when you're old enough to do it yourself. Now, go through the Tear, before..."

"Well, well, well. Look what we got here." We whirled around to find Steelbeak with an army of Eggmen behind us. "De Penguin's springin' de Jailbird! How sweet."

"Stay back, Metal Mouth." Penguin stood between me and Steelbeak, his umbrella weapon at the ready.

"You know de rules, Fat Boy," retorted Steelbeak, "Mia has ta remain in dat dungeon for de rest a her natural life."

"Not for doing the right thing, Chicken Breath."

"Besides, Pinocchio, I'm her legal guardian. I need ta protect her from villainous idiots like you." Steelbeak was slowly gaining ground toward us both and there was nowhere to go but through the Tear. I considered jumping through and leaving these two to continue their cold war.

"You don't protect someone by locking them up forever, Iron Snauze. If you want Mia, then you'll have to go through me."

Steelbeak and Penguin were now about five inches apart. I decided then I wasn't going to jump through until I knew whether or not Penguin was safe.

"If that's the way you want it, Tubby." Steelbeak turned around to his troops. "Eggmen, aim at Penguin." He started to walk away. I sensed a danger for Penguin, but before I could warn him, Steelbeak whipped around and punched Penguin square in the face.

Penguin was knocked senseless and to the ground. As he wearily stood up, Steelbeak jumped out of the way and shouted, "FIRE!!"

What happened next was what happens when pure instinct takes over. I ran at Penguin and managed to push him out of the way before the bullets started flying. I knew about ten of them hit me and I doubted I was going to live as the force of the blows pushed me out the Tear and Animatown.

I lay on the ground in pain and anguish as I watched the Tear close up and human people surround me. As I tried to lift up my hand, I realized I had returned to human form and a bullet was lodged in the palm of my hand. Everything was growing dark and soon, as I totally passed out all was black and the only sound I heard was a soft melody called_ Memory_.


	5. A New Hope

I'm not sure how long I was out, but when I woke up, a bright light surrounded me and I was immediately afraid I had passed away. However, the voices around me and the smell of ammonia alerted me that I was simply having a hospital stay.

"Oh, good!" said a masculine voice. "The patient is awake! How are you feeling, child?"

"I...I feel...fine, I guess." I rubbed my head. I looked up to see an old, oriental doctor with a nametag reading 'Doctor Nicko Suzuki'. "What happened, Doctor Suzuki?"

He sighed. "We were hoping you could tell us. Can you start by telling us your name, age, and parents' name?"

"Sure," I replied, "No problem with that. My name is Mia Démone. I'm not sure who my father is, but my mother's first name is Mona. I am . . . eleven years old."

"You are Mia Démone?" His face was full of shock. "You've been missing for four years! Where have you been?"

"I've been..." I paused. If I told anyone where I had really been, they'd think I had lost my mind and send me to the loony bin. Besides, if I had any reason to worry about anyone coming out of Animatown to get me, they would've come a long time ago. "I...don't remember."

"What do you mean, you don't remember?"

I shrugged. "I remember my sixth birthday, and I remember someone shooting at me before I blacked out...but that's it. I don't even remember what the guy that shot at me looks like."

Dr. Suzuki massaged his temples. "If you don't remember what your assaulter looked like, then the police will have to keep you under protection."

"What?!? Sorry, Doc, but I have to further my education. I can't stay here or under police protection. I'd go nuts!"

"It would be for your safety and best interest," he told me.

I thought about it for a moment. "Couldn't we find a family that would be willing to adopt me even with the possible threat of another attack? I mean, I want to live a life that lets me be a normal kid instead of one hidden from the world. Please help me by at least trying to locate a family to adopt me."

Dr. Suzuki sighed. "Okay, Mia, I'll try. However, if I can't find a family willing enough to adopt you within four weeks, then the police will take you to a safe house until you are eighteen."

And so, the search for a family began. Dr. Suzuki started off the first three weeks by looking outside of town, then in the city but far away from my old house. Finally, at the beginning of the fourth week he started searching near my old house, but he still couldn't find anyone willing to adopt me. He was growing desperate, and I was growing fearful of living under police protection. Fortunately, on the last day of the four-week period, Dr. Suzuki was able to find the Leets family, who were more than willing to adopt me as 'Angelina Mia Leets', my new and improved secret alias.

On the day when the Leets family and I first met, it had been the first day I had been allowed to sit up on my own. I was wincing a little at the pull of the stitches, but I smiled politely at my adoptive family. "Hi, I'm Angelina. Thank you for adopting me."

"How could we _not_ adopt you, Angelina?" asked Valorie Leets, the mother. She was a pleasant woman in her early thirties with radiant red hair and beautifully jade-green eyes. I judged her to be around five foot five and one hundred fifty pounds. She was of average build and seemed to me to be the type who liked to cook and clean. "You're such an adorable little girl...and right around the age of our daughter, Demona."

She pointed at the young girl standing beside her. Demona was a beautiful child with her medium tan skin, dark brown hair, and chocolate-brown eyes. She had a semi-circle scar under her right eye, which I found out later was from a dog attack when she was seven. She was a little taller than me at about four foot six and was as thin as she could get. "Hi, Angelina. Can I sign your cast?" She was referring to the cast that was still on my left arm.

"Sure," I told her, "Just don't write anything nasty. I've had quite a few nurses threaten to write insults on it if I don't go to sleep at lights out."

She smiled, showing off some adorable dimples on the sides of her lips. "Thanks. You're really nice, Angelina."

"Thank _you_, Demona." I smiled at the father, Nathan, as Demona took a big fat permanent marker and started writing. "You know, I wasn't really expecting such a warm welcome after what I've been through. I have to thank you for everything you're doing, sir."

"Just call us Dad and Mom, Angelina," he said, smiling in return. Nathan was a tall, lean man in his late thirties. His hair was jet-black with dignified streaks of grey, making him look older. I judged him to be at least six foot one, making him the perfect guy to get the cookie jar that's always just out of reach. "According to the doctor, you'll be allowed out of the hospital in a couple of weeks. However, you'll have to remain in a wheelchair for a few months or until the doctor says otherwise, okay?"

"Yes, s...Dad," I corrected myself.

"In the meantime, I need you to tell me how you would like your room decorated so it'll be ready when you get out."

I thought for a moment, then replied, "If you can get me a layout of the room, it would be much easier for me to decide what I want where. Could you do that for me?"

Nathan blinked in surprise. "Sure. I'll have it in here in three days time. Will that work for you?"

"That would be brilliant," I assured him.

The Leets had to leave, but they came back every other day to check up on me. Three days after the first visit, Nathan brought me a sketch of the general layout of my room, which turned out to be exactly the same as the one Steelbeak had provided for me. In an attempt to keep my memories of Animatown alive, I arranged the furniture exactly as I had it in my old room. I asked Nathan if I could have the walls white-washed so I could put my own artwork on the walls.

His reply? "As long as it's on paper, framed, and hung up. No drawing on the walls, Angelina."

Three weeks later, Nathan took me out of the hospital in a wheelchair to my new home next door to the old. It was akward pulling into the drive inbetween the two houses and seeing my old house. It was one of the hardest moments in my life, to know my old house was next door and turn away because I wasn't allowed anywhere inside it until I turned eighteen. Nathan wheeled me inside his home and took me to my room, and it was just like I was in Animatown again.

Nathan wheeled me to my bedside and said, "We'll be having supper in a couple of hours. There's a walkie-talkie on the nightstand and a blue button next to it. If you could please keep the walkie-talkie with you at all times, you'll be able to get help from any of us from anywhere in our entire house. Also, if you ever need help, say, in the middle of the night while you're in your bed, just push the blue button and we will come to your aid straight away. Is everything to your liking, Angelina?"

I smiled politely as I glanced around the room. "Everything is perfect, Dad. Thank you."

As Nathan shut the door behind him, I wheeled my self over to the glass doors that led out to a stone patio. As a precaution, instead of opening the doors I spread open the curtains and gazed out at my mother's home, her castle as she put it one day when I was five.

_"It's my only true escape from reality," she said as we sat on our balcony, overlooking the sun setting over the water._

_I thought about something I had been dying to ask her for a year. "Mommy, if you don't work anywhere, then where do we get our income?"_

_She was quiet for a moment. "Your father gave us a fortune of money when I was pregnant with you. He gave us enough to last for the next twenty years, if I used it right. It was so sad, though, when his family fortune was lost by a gambling uncle. He wouldn't accept any of the money I tried to return to him. He kept saying, 'I gave you that money to support you and our little sparrow until she is old enough to come back home with you by her side. If you try to return that money one more time, I will burn it.' He was so sweet, but he had his mean streaks."_

_"What do you mean 'mean streaks'?" I asked worriedly._

_Mommy shook her head. "He. . .turned to a life of crime in an attempt to return his family to the top of society. The last time I heard from him, he had accumulated an eighth of the money they once had, which is nothing to sneeze at." She sighed and looked down at me with a little half smile. "I used to call him my little cuddle bunny and I was his graceful swan."_

_"I was your little sparrow?" I asked her._

_She laughed. "Yes, you are our little sparrow. Your father would be proud to see how smart you've become and how much you've grown. Once you're old enough, I'll tell you all about him, but for now it's time for bed." She picked me up and carried me inside the house to my bed. Little had we known, the next day she would receive a letter from her husband that would change my life forever._

"Too bad you didn't have the chance to tell me his whole name, Mom." I blinked and wiped away the tearful memory as I thought about something that had not occured to me until that very moment. What would happen if any of the F.O.W.L. agents discovered I was still alive? Would they hurt the Leets family? Why did all the bad stuff happen to me?

As I thought of these things, some one knocked on the door. "Angelina, it's Demona. Can I come in, please?"

"It's open." I turned my chair around to face Demona as she came in. "This room is very nice. I like the view."

"I suppose the view is nice," she replied, sitting in the chair by the writing desk. "Hey, do you like rock music?"

I smiled. "It's my favorite. Why do you ask?"

It was her turn to smile. "Well, I have front row tickets and backstage passes to a rock concert not far from here. I was wondering if you would like to join me and my friends tomorrow afternoon."

"Who's going to be there?" I asked.

"Def Leppard, Aerosmith, . . . and POISON!!!"

"Are you serious?!? I LOVE Poison. Sure, I'll come with you! Thanks for inviting me, Demona." I smiled and wheeled next to her. "You know, I've never had anyone close to me be this nice so quickly."

She cocked her head to one side. "Really? You're a really polite person, Angelina, and caring, selfless, and all-around nice. How could anyone be mean to you?"

"I . . . I'm not sure, Demona," I told her truthfully.

She stood up. "Well, I mainly came in here 'cuz it's dinner time. Would you like me to help you there, Angelina?"

"Thanks, but I can manage to get there on my own," I told her, wheeling my way to the hallway. "I would appreciate it, though, if you would close the door behind you."

And it was so, my new life as a normal human - Angelina Leets - began. Don't worry, though, if you think this is the end. Oh, no, this isn't the end of my adventure. This is where the true horrors of my life begin.


	6. Bad Luck Follows Me

My problems first began on my first day of school in late summer of the following year. I had completely healed, besides the mark of the tiger on my left arm, and after much consideration, I would be attending Wright Elementary School in the fifth grade, which was a grade lower than Demona.

Demona and I walked to school on the first day and she could tell by my sweaty palms, wobbly knees, and chattering teeth I was more nervous than I needed to be. "Angelina, the first day of school isn't something to be horrified of. It's something to embrace."

"What do you mean embrace?" I asked her, wringing my sweaty hands.

"It's the beginning of a new year, a clean slate, and new friends." She smiled at me. "I'm sure you'll make plenty of new friends in your grade, and your teacher, Miss Aames, is a very nice lady who I'm sure will like your personality. Don't sweat it, Angelina." She wrapped her arm around my shoulders. "Everything will be just fine."

Boy, was she wrong!

I walked into my homeroom class and up to Miss Aames. "Hi, I'm Angelina Leets. . . Demona's sister," I said quietly.

"Hello, Angelina!" Miss Aames said cheerfully. She was a beautiful blond woman with pale skin. To me, she looked like an angel. "Demona told me all about you. I heard you're a little nervous about your first day of school."

"Yes, I am, Miss Aames."

"Well," she chuckled, "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll make plenty of new friends while you're in this class. You'll be sitting in the third column, second row. You'll be sitting inbetween Brady Dink and Jeanne Guin. Okay?"

"Okay," I replied softly. "Thank you, Miss Aames."

I took my binder and sat in my seat between Brady and Jeanne. Jeanne turned to me and smiled. "Hi, Angelina. I'm Jeanne. Where are you from?"

I thought of the cover the police gave me. "I'm from . . . California. My parents used to abuse me, so I was taken away and brought here to Corry."

"Well, I'm glad you moved here," she told me. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have met you."

"I'm glad I moved here, too. I've never had friends before I moved here."

"I'm not surprised."

I turned to the other side of me where Brady Dink was lounging in his seat with his muddy feet on the desk. "You seem to be the type of person who are so pathetic the other kids ain't wantin' nothin' to do with."

"First of all, Mister Dink," I said, calmly. "Your hygiene has little to be desired. Second, the proper grammatical way to state your insult would be, 'You seem to be the type of person who _is_ so pathetic the other kids _want nothing_ to do with _him or her_.' You are incompetent, illiterate, and inferior to my intelligence quotient. I suggest you stop attaking my dignity - or better yet, stop conversing with me at all - and go back to your little world of A B C's and 1 2 3's."

Slowly and without warning, the whole class started applauding. I turned to Jeanne. "Why are they clapping?"

Jeanne was excited. "Angelina, you just stood up to the class bully. No one in our school has ever done that before."

Brady grew red in the face and sat up straight. "You think humiliatin' me is a good thing, _Angie_?"

"Yes," I replied with a smile. "And I prefer being called Angelina rather than Angie, Mister Dink."

"You think you're so smart?" he growled. "We'll see how smart you are when I tell Nathan."

The class immediately became silent and from the look from their pale faces, Nathan was bad news. I looked over at Jeanne for help, who said, "Nathan is the meanest bully in Wright Elementary School. He's made even the bravest kids wet their pants, literally. He's also Brady's brother."

"Oh," I laughed, trying to sound cool. "You're too afraid to fight me, so you're going to recruit your family into doing your bidding. I rest my case, you are inferior to my intelligence quotient. I will meet this Nathan, and I will win this fight. Then, I will be, as you put it, 'humiliatin' ' you all the more. By the way, Miss Aames knows about the muddy sneakers and is right now writing your detention slip so you can clean up the entire classroom after school for the rest of the week."

At that moment, Miss Aames came over to the other side of Brady's desk and placed a small pink slip on his lap. "I will be expecting you in front of my desk after school, Mister Dink." As Brady sat up and put his feet on the floor, Miss Aames returned to the front of the room and started teaching.

For the rest of the morning before lunch, Brady kept to himself as the whole class enjoyed their first bully-free day of school. We studied math, language arts, and science during that time and, rather than admitting to boredom, I helped Jeanne out with her work before I did my own. I offered to help Brady, because even bad guys need help sometimes, but he just glared at me before turning the other way.

At lunch, I stepped into the line with Jeanne, waiting for Brady to introduce Nathan to his newest enemy. While talking to Jeanne, I accidentally bumped into someone behind me. I whipped around totally embarrassed. "Oh, I am _so_ sorry!"

The boy laughed heartily. "It's alright. I have enough of a gut to protect me from things like that."

I smiled a little. He was rather cute; dark skin, raven-black hair, and beautiful golden-brown eyes. "Are you sure you're not hurt?"

He nodded. "I'll be fine. Hey, aren't you new here?"

"Yeah, I just started here this year. I'm living with Demona Leets. We're foster sisters." I pointed over where Demona's head was just barely visible.

"Demona's in my class this year," he told me, "She's a really nice person. She even offers to help me with my homework when I need it. By the way, what's your name?"

"M . . . Angelina." I hoped he hadn't noticed my goof.

He shook my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Angelina. I'll be right back. Could you save my spot for me?"

"Sure." I watched him walk off. For a moment, I didn't notice Jeanne's shocked stare. "What's wrong, Jeanne?"

"_That_ was Nathan Dink, Angelina."

I looked over at him. I noticed he was talking with Brady. "Well, maybe he won't believe Brady so much since he met me first."

Jeanne shrugged her shoulders. "No one is ever positive about how Nathan will react. He has his mood swings."

I watched as Nathan returned to his spot. "I'm back." He waited a moment before he posed the question. "Angelina, did you make a total idiot out of my brother before class had even begun?"

I gulped and answered quietly and truthfully. "Yes."

He smiled. "Good. He deserves to have someone put him in his place once in a while. What all happened?"

I quickly explained the events which had taken place earlier that morning and Nathan's smile grew wider. "You know, I think having you around Brady might be a good idea."

After I had grabbed my tray of food, I sat down next to Jeanne, who had her own friend beside her. "Angelina, this is my friend, David Aple. He's in Demona's grade."

He swallowed a large gulp of apple sauce before he said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Angelina."

I replied with a similar greeting before I started eating my taco. I had barely started eating when a voice beside me said, "Hey there, _Angie_."

I looked up to see Brady and two of his friends - Joe Smith and Morgan Redmond - standing beside the table. "What do you want, Brady."

He sneered. "I want the three of you losers off of this table so me and my gang can sit here."

"Why should we give up our table when you could go find another one?" asked David angrily.

"I have five reasons," he replied, holding up his hand. "One. Two. Three. Four. Five." He curled his fingers so his hand was now a fist.

I smirked. "You won't hit us. Not if you don't want to be in deep trouble with the principal or the police."

"I'm warning you, Angie," he warned me. "If you don't move, I'll punch you right in the nose."

I stood up and faced him. "If you're so brave, Brady, hit me. Then, I'll move from this table."

Brady's face grew red in anger. I knew at that moment, he was going to attempt to kill me. His fist landed directly on the bridge of my nose with a loud CRACK! I stumbled backward, but caught myself before I fell. I could feel the small stream and the coppery taste of fresh blood as I returned to my original position, staring calmly at Brady to see what he would do next. He aimed another punch for my face. Without effort, I dodged his punch, grabbed his arm, and threw him across the room into the first graders' table. Thankfully, the teacher's had seen what Brady had done and escorted him to the principal's office while Miss Aames took me to the nurse's office.

As soon as I was cleaned up, I walked out into the main office, where the entire Leets family and the entire Dink family were waiting for me. Mrs. Brink looked like she was about to strangle the life out of me, Brady looked like he wanted to murder me when I least expected it, Nate looked like he didn't want to be in the middle of this dispute, Valorie looked like she wanted to comfort me, Nathan looked like he just got out of bed, Demona looked like she was going to have a nice long chat with me after school, and Mr. Dink looked like he wanted to give me a nice pat on the back. I felt like I was going to throw up what little lunch I had eaten before Brady's painful attack and probably looked like I wanted to disappear from the face of the Earth, if not the universe.

I watched as Miss Aames entered the office, followed by Jeanne and David. "Now that everyone is here, I want to discuss what happened in the lunchroom earlier. According to Mister Smith and Mister Redmond, Angelina threw the first punch."

Before anyone could protest, Miss Aames said, "However, eyewitness teachers say Brady provoked the entire fight and when Angelina stood up to him by refusing to move, he punched her and she, in self-defense, grabbed his arm and threw him away from her. I just wanted everyone here to know why I've decided to suspend Mister Dink from school for the next week. I also wanted people to know that I congratulate Angelina on her courage to stand up to the school bully." She smiled in my direction, which made me feel a little bit better.

I turned to Mister Dink who held out his hand for me to shake. "Miss Leets, I know my wife isn't very happy with your actions, but I personally want to thank you for standing up to my son. I think that, now that someone has stood up to him, he may realize he's not really all that."

"Thank you?" I wasn't really sure if that was a compliment or not.

Nate stepped over to me once all the adults, and Brady, had left. "That was a really brave thing you did, Angelina. Brady could've hurt you much worse."

I shrugged. "It was nothing, Nate. I wanted him to stop picking on my friends and acting like he was some sort of god, so I refused to obey his every command."

"Well, maybe now he'll realize he's no god." Nate took my hand and led me back to the cafeteria. "You know, Demona's really proud of you. She says you're smarter than your parents."

I blushed. "Well, I..."

"You don't have to be ashamed of it, Angelina. You should be proud of your talent. You could help a lot of people by being so smart." He smiled at me.

"I'll do that," I replied.

"Speaking of help," he said. "I have math homework tonight and I don't understand it. Could you help me with it?"

"Sure. You can come to my house after school and I'll show you how to work the problems," I told him. As we walked, I chuckled a little to myself.

"What's so funny?" asked Nate.

My smile grew wider. "I just can't imagine you as the biggest bully in the school."

He laughed heartily. "Actually, I'm not a bully at all. I act like one once in a while just for show, but the kids I pick on know I'm just goofing around."

We both laughed warmly as we walked down the hallway.

After school, I had to walk home by myself because Demona was hanging out with some friends. I didn't mind, though, since I had memorized the way to school that morning. As I walked by the gas station across from the city park, three tough-looking boys - Brady, Joe, and Morgan - stepped out of the store and started running in my direction. My first thought was, _Oh, crap!_

You wouldn't have had to tell me twice; I bolted the minute I spotted them coming. I never ran so fast in my life. I looked behind me and saw they were quickly catching up to me. I saw nowhere to hide, so I kept running straight for home, and that was a long way to run. I started wheezing, my breaths short and without much oxygen. My legs ached from running so speedily without stop. I realized I wasn't going to outrun them, and my body was slowing down, but I continued to push myself harder. Finally, my legs gave out and I fell hard on the pavement in front of the St. Thomas Church. As I blacked out, the things I saw were the three boys surrounding me and the statue of Mary holding the body of Christ in the courtyard.

I woke up hours later, when a police officer had gently nudged my shoulder. "Miss, are you alright?"

I tried to sit up, but my head and limbs were throbbing. "No. Everything hurts, and I can barely move."

The police officer, who I then noticed was accompanied by ambulance personnel, patted my shoulder. "We got a call earlier saying a girl was beat up and laying unconscious on West Washington Street. We came as soon as we could. These people are going to put you on a stretcher and take you to Corry Memorial Hospital, alright?"

I slowly nodded my head, and the EMCs lifted me onto the stretcher. I glanced over to where I had been laying and noticed the pool of crimson which had flowed from the sidewalk all the way to the sewage drain. I was taken very quickly to the hospital, where Nathan, Valorie, and Demona were waiting and looking very worried.

"Angelina!" Demona came to my side. "Oh, Angelina, this is all my fault. I shouldn't have let you walk home by yourself, not after what had happened at lunch."

"Trust me, Demona," I whispered, "If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I shouldn't have thought I could walk home unattended."

"It's everyone's fault, Angelina, not just yours." Nathan stepped closer. "From now on, we will always protect you, however possible."

He was right, too. From that point of my life on, I didn't go anywhere without someone else. I didn't even leave the house unless I was sure someone knew exactly where I was going. After a few years, I began to change. Not only physically, but also mentally. It wasn't long before I began to believe Animatown didn't exist and I was your average every-day teenager.

All that changed one night when I was a sophomore in high school. I was laying in my bed, drawing in my sketchbook as the last few rays of sunlight poured into my room. My sixteenth birthday was a week away and everyone was excited. As the full moon rose and shined its light into my room, a dark shadow loomed over me and my sketchbook.

Frightened, I turned around to see eight figures standing in my room, each one taller than myself. I tried to run for the door, but one leaped inbetween me and the door. I stopped just before I ran into the creature and gasped as the moonlight revealed my attacker's face. It was a six foot frog! I tried to turn around, but they had all surrounded me. I fought hard against them, but it proved useless against these kung-fu fighters.

Soon, one of the frogs had me pinned on my own bed and leaned in close to my face. "We have been sent to retrieve you, Mia Angelina Démone." His voice was deep and rich with a French accent. "Your Uncle Steelbeak wants you back immediately."

"_Vous ne me prendrez jamais vivant, grenouille_." (You will never take me alive, frog.) As I spoke, I slowly moved my hand onto the table and pressed the silent alarm, alerting other members in the house of my peril. "_Je morrais au lieu de la vie avec mon oncle._" (I would die instead of living with my uncle.)

"Your knowledge of our language is impressive, Chosen One," replied the frog, "And your courage is astounding. However, that will not save you. It is sad that you would choose death over a life in Animatown." He stroked my face with his hand. "So beautiful. It is such a shame, _cherie_. However, if death is what you wish, then so be it." He rose his hand as if to strike me, and I closed my eyes in fear.

Suddenly the door burst open and Nathan Leets shouted, "What the devil is going on in here?"

One of the frogs, unsure of what to do, kicked Nathan hard in the gut and then karate-chopped him in the back of the neck as he doubled-over. No one could deny hearing the cracking sound as Nathan's neck snapped. His eyes buldged for only a moment before he fell to the ground, dead. It was the second guardian I had lost to a cartoon.

Furious, I shoved the frog off of me and ran to Nathan's side, tears running down my face. The lead frog tried to grab me, but I managed to grab him by his wrists and throw him against the opposite wall. The frogs left immediately, but not before the leader said, "_Nous nous rencontrons dans l'avenir, Choisi._ (We will meet again, Chosen One.)"

"_Oui, et quand nous nous faisons, je tuerai chacun d'entre vous. Vous paierez de toute son âme pour cela, grenouille_!(Yes, and when we do, I will kill every single one of you. You will pay dearly for this, frog!)" I slumped down to the floor next to Nathan. He was my father; my friend. "I will avenge you, father." I stood up and ran to the window, shouting. "_M'entendez-vous, la grenouille?Je vengerai mon père_!(Did you hear me, frog? I will avenge my father!)" From that moment of my life on, I never forgot about Animatown or the responsibility I held in my hands.


	7. Time Away From Home

The years spent after the loss of my foster father were almost unbearable. I knew I held a responsibility to Animatown and the citizens within, but I wanted to have a life on Earth with Nate, with whom I had been dating since I was in seventh grade. My heart was torn even worse when both Nate and Demona left for college before my Senior year.

That summer, I was given some free time to spend wherever I chose, since I had saved enough money to do so. I packed my things into a suitcase and a large duffel bag, walked to the nearby airport, and started on my two month vacation to Paris, France. It was my first airplane ride, so I was very excited. As the plane took off, I was instantly reminded of a roller coaster at Six Flags and I felt this small tug in my stomach. We flew for six hours, but it seemed like twelve due to the six-hour time change.

After we landed and all my luggage was in my hands, I walked to the nearby hotel where I had made a reservation before my flight. The desk clerk was tall, very thin, and was the owner of a ten-inch nose. "_Bonjour, mademoiselle_. Can I help you?"

"_Bonjour, monsieur. J'ai besoin d'une salle._" (Hello, sir. I need a room.)

"Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes, _monsieur_."

"Name?"

"Angelina Leets." I set my luggage down.

He pulled out a thick brown book and started searching for my name. "_Voila_! Miss Angelina Leets, you have the presidential suite." He turned and pulled a large golden key out of an old box. "Your room is up the stairs, down the hall, and the first door on the left. You have a small balcony, but a wonderful view of our fair city. Other rooms included in the suite are a kitchen, a bathroom, a dining room, and a guest bedroom." He rang a bell on his desk and a younger man in a red suit came in from the next room. "_Prenez le bagage de la femme a la suite_!" (Take the lady's luggage to her suite!)

The bellhop merely nodded, picked up my luggage, and led the way to my presidential suite. He opened the door and set my luggage by the bed as I entered. I handed him a twenty euro before he left, then walked swiftly over to the balcony doors. These, too, were made of glass, like the ones at my home with the Leets and my home in Animatown. However, these were patterned into little pictures of magnificent beauty.

Carefully, I opened the doors and realized I could only take a few steps onto the balcony before my thighs touched the railing. I breathed in city air as I watched the citizens scurry about in several directions. I let my gaze scan farther upward and was greeted by a view of one of France's most famous monuments, the Eiffel Tower. I had never imagined it so big or so beautiful.

I glanced down at my watch. It wouldn't be long until a special guest would arrive for dinner, so I closed the glass doors and walked over to the phone to call a caterer. I was going to need some of the best food in Paris to please one of the most famous people who lived there. As soon as I had finished placing my order, I did what I could to tidy the room and unpack before my guest arrived.

The caterers arrived and sat the five-course meal eloquently on the table in the dining room. As soon as I made sure everything was perfect, I checked my watch. It was almost six o' clock. My guest would be here any minute. I made a quick change into something a little more presentable and finished putting my hair into a loose bun just before the doorbell rang. I hustled gracefully to the door and opened it.

When I saw my guest smiling warmly down at me, I couldn't help but to smile back. "_Bienvenue_, Monsieur Reno. Please, come inside." I moved aside so the actor and role model of my life could enter.

"It's a great pleasure to finally meet you, _Mademoiselle Leets._ Your intellect is known throughout the world." The elderly actor smiled politely as I offered him a seat. "How did you learn so much in just seventeen years?"

I shrugged as I offered him a glass of wine. "I guess it just came naturally to me. I was an excellent student even in kindergarten, and from there I just wanted to know more and more about the entire world. Now, I know almost everything about the entire world."

"And yet, you don't want to use those talents to be some sort of scientist," Jean laughed. "You want to become an actress."

I smiled and slightly nodded. "I must admit, Monsieur Reno, I was a little surprised to receive your invitation to come to Paris. How were you able to find my phone number?"

"Your number was in the phonebook," he replied, sipping at his wine. "It just took longer than I expected to look through almost all of the phonebooks of the county of Erie to find you."

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that trouble to find me," I told him. I poured myself a glass of wine and took a seat across from him. "If I knew you were looking for me, monsieur, I would have broadcasted my phone number. . . or something."

"Please, mademoiselle, just call me Jean. You make me feel as though I am your superior when I am indeed your equal."

I blushed. "I'm sorry, mon. . . Jean. I was only trying to be polite." I sipped at my wine a little before I noticed he was staring intently at me. "Is there something wrong, Jean?"

"Nothing is wrong, Angelina." Jean sat up straighter in his chair. "I just noticed the color of your eyes. I have never seen anyone with such _beaux yeux d'améthyste_." In case you're wondering, he was complimenting my beautiful amethyst eyes. "Your eyes put the amethyst gem to shame."

I blushed again. "I've never thought of myself as beautiful before, but thank you for the. . ."

"How could you ever think otherwise, Angelina? You are a very beautiful young woman._ Oui,_you have a slightly larger bone structure than most women, but you are still very attractive." Jean drank more of his wine.

I swallowed hard. "I . . . just never imagined I was attractive after the accident in my younger years. I thought . . . "

"How could you ever think you were not beautiful, Angelina? Just because you have a scar running down your jawline? Big deal. It is barely visible anymore. I don't want to hear any more about how unattractive you think you are. I'll listen to anything but that topic."

I blinked at his bluntness, but continued onto a different subject. "So, Jean, what is life like being an actor?"

"To be honest with you, it depends on the person who has become an actor," he replied, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "For me, living the life of an actor is simple for the most part. _Oui_, I do have to explain the American movies sometimes, like _Godzilla_ and the two _Pink Panther _movies, but I enjoy my work and, in America, I am not chased around by so many women."

I chuckled. "It must be hard to explain American comedy to your country and to live in another country were you aren't seen as a, if you'll excuse the expression, sex symbol."

"Sometimes, but, as I said, I enjoy what I do." He finished off the wine in his glass and started in on the appetizer, a specialty salad which originated in Nice, France. "So, what made you want to become an actress after high school?"

"Ever since I could remember, I had this urge - this burning desire - to perform in the spotlight and entertain the public. In seventh grade - my eighth year of schooling - I began auditioning for several school, community, and church theatrical productions. When I sang for the play director and the music director for the first time, I dazzled them beyond all reasoning and landed a major role in _Les Miserables_. I was so excited, I had wished. . . " I paused, remembering how much I had wished my mother, my **real** mother, could have been there to watch my first ever performance.

"What is it you wished?" asked Jean, a hint of concern in his voice.

I swallowed. "I had wished my real mother could have been there to watch me." I slid some of the salad - lettuce, tuna, boiled egg, onions, and olive oil - onto my fork and, shakily, placed the food in my mouth.

"Oh." He cleared his throat and sat down his eating utensils. "I did not realize you were an orphan. I am sorry."

My food not quite ready to be swallowed, I shook my head until I could do so. "Don't be. I'm a foster child, not an orphan. My father is still alive somewhere, we just don't know where he is right now."

Jean studied me for a long time while I was eating before he finally said, "Your name isn't really Angelina Leets, is it?"

I almost choked on half of a boiled egg and had to drink some wine to wash it down. "I'm sorry for the reaction, but I think you're the first person who ever asked that question."

"Am I right?" he asked attentively.

Weakly, I nodded. "I had to change my name for my protection." I looked over at Jean. I could tell he was expecting me to tell him. "Can you keep it a secret if I tell you?"

He smiled. "I promise I will keep your secret to the death."

I sucked in a breath of air before I told him. "My real name is Mia Démone. When I was eleven years old, someone tried to gun me down. I . . . never told the police who it was, not because I was protecting someone, but I didn't recognize the man who shot at me. Plus, I had no idea why he was shooting at me." Well, that was a _partial_ truth, the one I had been living in this world. I hadn't recognized which Eggman had actually shot me, and I hadn't done anything wrong to provoke him.

"Mia Démone." He let the name - **my** name - roll off his tongue. "It is a very majestic name. Do you know what your name means?"

I nodded. "Mia means 'sea of bitterness' . . . and Démone means 'demon' or 'devil'. I have always wondered why my parents named me that."

He swallowed the last piece of his salad. "There are many different possibilities, Mia. The one I believe is they knew you were destined for greatness beyond your wildest dreams and wished to hide it as best they could. Obviously, it didn't work so well, since you are now known world-wide." He paused long enough to make sure we were looking into each other's eyes. "Mia Démone, I can see you will do great things in your life. Whether they are magnificent or terrible will be up to you."

Even after my departure back to the United States, I would never forget Mister Reno's words of wisdom. Little did I realize, I would someday soon remember his words in a time of great conflict between good and evil.


	8. Surprise!

A whole new school year, my very last one, began when I returned from my trip. The friends I had made - well, the majority of them, anyway - had graduated in the previous year, so I knew it was time for me to make a few more before I left for college. I had already made friends with most of the teachers, my favorite being Mister Robert English.

Robert English taught just that - English. Honors English, to be exact, and in our school it was the highest level you could achieve. I met this teacher in my ninth grade year, when I had Honors English 9 _and_ Newspaper. Since Corry Area High Schools' mascot was a beaver (wimpy, right?), the newspaper was entitled "The Beaver Tales". Mr. English, however, was simply the adviser while the students were totally in charge of running the newspaper. It was a wonderful experience for anyone who decided to take a career in journalism. For me, it was just another opportunity to enjoy writing about something I enjoyed or wanted to voice my opinion about.

We became friends almost immediately, a mystical bond between teacher and student. We had several conversations about the different things we enjoyed, hated, and were critical about. Once in a while I would eat lunch in his room so I could work on my newspaper articles and tell him the website in which I published my stories. During my senior year, I was his student assistant for College Prep English 9.

Other than Mr. English, I made no more friends, and I was content with that. I still had Jeanne to talk with and I could e-mail any of my friends who graduated any time I wanted. I was polite and friendly with anyone who struck up a conversation, but most of the time I found several reasons not to totally befriend them.

The day before graduation, at seven o'clock in the morning, I was reading an e-mail Demona had sent me from her college laptop.

"Dear Angelina,  
How has high school been for you? College life totally rocks! I only have two classes every  
other day, and I have a part-time job at one of the local radio stations. I've never had so much fun!  
Angelina, I hope you're having a lot of fun this year. That trip to France must have been breath-  
taking. However, I'm mostly e-mailing you because I'm still homesick, and I miss Dad. I know you  
didn't see what any of the attackers looked like, but if you ever find the one who killed Dad, let me  
know, or at least punch him once for me, OK? Actually, hit him twice for me, once for killing Dad,  
and once for trying to kill you.  
I have to go soon for my literacy class, but I just wanted to tell you there will be a surprise from  
all of your friends waiting for you at the graduation ceremony. I can't tell you what it is, but I can tell  
you it is something very special to all of us.

Talk to you later, sis!

Demona"

I pondered over with what Demona could possibly surprise me. I debated over whether or not to reply to Demona, then decided against it. Demona would never reveal the secret, an even if she did, what kind of surprise would that be? I logged out of the computer and grabbed my backpack as I headed out of the door.

In our school, the entire last week of school was the beginning of summer vacation for the Senior Class. We were done with our classes and could stay home or work, or whatever we wanted. However, I was not quite ready to leave the high school. I decided, with the consent with the school district, to continue my work as a student assistant until the school year ended. It also gave me a little more time with the teachers with whom I had become friends.

I arrived at Corry High School at seven thirty, just like an average teacher. I walked into the high school office and smiled at the secretary. "Hello, Missus Cigrillianiosis. How are you today?"

Mrs. Cigrillianiosis returned my smile as she said, "I'm doing well, Angelina. I thought you weren't due here until eight o' clock."

"Oh, I'm not," I told her, straightening my business suit. "I just decided if it was alright, I would walk around and say goodbye to my teachers. I probably won't see them again until Christmas break."

"I'll talk with Mister Dough and see what he says." Mrs. Cigrillianiosis picked up the phone and dialed Mr. Dough's extension.

I glanced out the window to view the halls I would walk through for one last day. My history teacher, Mr. John Wodgowski, was picking on a middle-school student, his idea of a fun time. Mrs. Swann Folio was having a deep conversation with Mr. Adolfo Harry, probably about their science classes. I waved as my favorite French teacher, Mrs. Michelle Marcellino, walked by the glass.

"Angelina, Mister Dough says he'll let you get away with it." Mrs. Cigrillianiosis smiled. " I can't believe it's already been six years. I remember when you came to seventh-grade orientation. All I could think was, 'That little girl is going to do great things.' I was right, too, Angelina. You're a very special girl, Angelina."

"Thank you, Missus Cigrillianiosis." I waved good-bye to her as I exited the office and started making rounds around the school.

As I walked through the hallways, a faint yet distinct voice echoed through the hallways. "You don't know the power of the dark side."

At first, I was wondering who would be watching Star Wars before class on the last official day of the school year. Then, I heard another comment which made me realize someone was using a voice modifier. "The dark side is as powerful as duct tape, my son."

I stifled a small giggle as I walked into Mr. English's classroom and observed his apparel. He was wearing a black cape and some sort of black helmet which I assumed held the voice modifier. He also bore in his hands a very expensive model of the Star Wars light saber. Although only his back was visible to me, I could tell Mr. English was given permission to dress like Darth Vader for the last day of school. "Good morning, Mister English. I see you wore your special Halloween costume yet again. The voice modifier is definitely an improvement."

"I thought so," he replied with the modifier still operating. He reached up with his gloved hand and turned off the device. "I just got it in the mail yesterday."

I shook my head. " You just _received_ it, not you just _got_ it. For an English teacher, you have plenty of grammatical errors in your speech." I sat down on one of the student desks across from his own. "So, how have you been, Mister English, besides being happy for the new toy you _received_?"

He laughed as he removed his helmet. "Since yesterday when we last conversed, I have been well. My wife is doing well, too. She tried that French recipe you suggested. It was absolutely magnificent! It was as if there was a celebration taking place on my taste buds. Where did you get . . . I mean, _obtain_ that recipe?"

"Basque Lamb Stew? I was given a copy of the recipe by the wife of a very good friend of mine in France," I replied, choosing not to reveal my sources. "Did she make the Three-Layered Chocolate Terrine?"

"Actually, she did make it and it was very exquisite." He patted his stomach. "I wonder how the French can make such deliciously fattening food yet manage to stay thin."

I smiled. "They stay thin because they rarely drive. They mostly walk everywhere." I glanced over at the picture of his daughter sitting on his desk. "How's your daughter?"

"Mary Lynn?" He chuckled, sitting down in his computer chair. "She's been very energetic lately. She continues to ask for her 'adopted sister'." He removed the rest of his costume, revealing the Pittsburgh Steelers-loving teacher beneath.

"She just saw me Sunday," I replied. Although this conversation was full of happiness, the mention of the word 'adopted' brought back horrible memories of my past and the lives which were ruined because of The Prophecy. I kept my stare on Mr. English's desk, where the pictures of Mary Lynn and his wife, Amora, stood proudly as a reminder of his loving family. His **_real _**loving family.

Mr. English must have sensed my bitter feelings because he came closer and said, "Angelina, are you alright?"

I blinked away tears. "No, Mister English, I'm fine." I took off my glasses and quickly wiped away my tears.

He handed me a Kleenex and I wiped away whatever tears remained. "Angelina, something is wrong. I know I'm not a true blood-related family member, but you are a part of my family in my heart and in the hearts of my wife and daughter. If you need some one to talk to, come to me."

I strode farther into the room and sat hastily on the front desk. "I don't know any more, Mister English." I sniffled a little before I grabbed another Kleenex and blew my nose. "I . . . I've had to keep part of my life a secret from the world for so long, I just don't know what to do any more." I glanced up at him as he pulled his computer chair in front of me and sat in it. "I don't want to hide who I am any more, Mister English, but every time I tell some one even a small section of my true life, they . . . die." Finally, I burst into sobs.

Mr. English put a hand on my shoulder. "Mia, that's not entirely true."

"Yes, it is!" I exclaimed, then a rather large realization hit me. "What did you call me?"

He smiled a little. "I've known for almost three years who you really are, Mia Angelina Demoné. Your sister told me so I would know why you might act sensitively toward certain subjects. Now, Mia, I know this may be hard for you, but I want you to tell me everything you are so afraid to share."

"But my mother . . . and Nathan Leets, they . . . "

Mr. English shook his head. "Mia, I'm not either of them. I may not be as close to you as they were, but I can handle whatever you dish out at me."

I looked away from him. "You would never believe me."

"I may not be able to comprehend everything you tell me, but I know you are not insane and you would never lie to anyone unless you were protecting someone from evil deeds." He scooted his chair so we were facing each other. "Now, please, tell me everything, Mia."

In attempt to take the weight off my chest, I told Mister English everything, every single detail including Animatown. I told him how my mother was killed, about my experience in Animatown, how I returned to Earth, about my adoption, and how Nathan Leets was killed.

Mister English listened carefully, with an occasional interruption, which were only to ask a question or two. When I had finished, he looked at me for only a moment before he said, "While what you have told me is very hard to comprehend, I know you are an honest, sane young woman. In which case, I first have to say I am sorry for all you have been through in your life. I would never have been able to live through what you've endured. Do you still have scars from that . . . 'mark of the tiger'?"

I lifted up my shirt sleeve, revealing the scars, which had burned into my skin as a reminder of who I had become. "The mark of the tiger is a symbol of power, but it was burned into my skin in scorn and humiliation."

"I'm not finished, Mia. As you said, the mark of the tiger is a symbol of power, a power you have somewhere deep inside you. You have the makings of greatness in you, Mia, and you've shown it through every hardship you've had to endure." He peered deep into my eyes as he said, "The second thing I wished to say was, I know you miss your mother and your adoptive father, but you must realize you are not at fault for their murders. The powers against you are vast and have hurt you and your family time and time again, but you never did anything to cause the deaths of Mona Demoné and Nathan Leets. Do you understand?"

I nodded. "Yeah." I embraced Mr. English, surprising him. "Thank you Mister English."

"No problem, Mia." He slowly returned the hug.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. I backed away from Mr. English as he said, "Come in."

The door burst open, and I had to push Mr. English to the floor to prevent any injuries. When I sure it was safe, I rose to a squatting position. "What in the name of Pete . . .?"

"_Bonjour, ma chèrie_." The French frogs entered the room singularly, with the leader entering at the rear. "_Vous êtes-vous ennuyé de moi, Choisi Une?_(Did you miss me, Chosen One?)"

"You!" I was pretty close to charging him right then and there. "Get out of here, frog." I glanced down at Mr. English, who had been knocked unconscious during the fall.

"That's _Le Frog_, Mia." He stepped closer, close enough we were nearly nose-to-nose. "You are _très chanceux_ I did not kill you two years ago when I had the chance."

"_You_ are very lucky, too, _Le Frog_," I told him. "If you had killed me, it would have been in violation of Animatown Rule 56 and you would have been publicly executed."

In a surprisingly fast move, he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close enough I could smell the _escargot_ on his breath. "_Croyez-vous au coup de foudre?_(Do you believe in love at first sight?)" he whispered, drawing my lips closer to his.

"No, I do not," I replied firmly, pushing him away. "Especially not with you, Le Frog."

He glared at me angrily. "_Équipe, prise Mia et son ami au portail. Steelbeak attend de l'autre côté.(_Team, take Mia and her friend to the portal. Steelbeak is waiting on the other side.)" He turned and walked out of the room.

Four frogs grabbed my arms while three frogs started dragging Mr. English through the doorway. As I was led out the door, one of them spoke. _" Mia, je m'appelle Bezu. I. . . était celui qui a tué votre père adoptif. J'ai juste voulu que vous sussiez c'était un accident, et je suis désolé.(_Mia, I am called Bezu. I . . . was the one who killed your foster father. I just wanted you to know it was an accident, and I am sorry.)" He paused for a second. "_ J'espère que vous pouvez le trouver à votre coeur pour me pardonner.(_I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.)"

I looked up at the frog and said, " _Bezu, vous êtes le plus décent sur ce groupe jusqu'ici. Je vous pardonnerai, mais vous devez renvoyer la faveur un certain jour à l'avenir. Comprenez?_(Bezu, you are the most decent one out of this group so far. I will forgive you, but you must return the favor some day in the future. Understand?)"

Bezu actually smiled as he said, " _Oui, Mia. Je comprends._(Yes, Mia. I understand.)"

Once I was out of the room, I watched in horror as the frogs threw Mr. English through the portal. "What are you doing?"

"He will not be harmed, Mia." Le Frog was leaning against the opposite wall. "At least, not yet." He gestured toward the portal.  
"_Après vous, mademoiselle._(After you, miss.)"

Before I could take a step toward the portal, a small flurry of motion caught the attention of both Le Frog and myself. We looked farther down the hall to see none other than David Aple, whom I discovered later had come to the school as part of the surprise. As soon as he realized he was in possible danger, he turned and bolted down the hallway.

"David, run!" I shouted. When Le Frog attempted to pursue David, I shoved into him and, when I landed on top of him, I accidentally kissed him. Although I wanted to hate this amphibian, I could not pull away, and I did not know why.

He was in no hurry to push me away either, but when he did, he said, "That was unexpected, _cherie_." He glanced down the hallway, but David was nowhere to be found. "It doesn't matter. No one will believe his story, anyway." He led me through the Tear and in doing so I was accepting the destiny that was chosen for me, the Chosen One.


	9. Return to Animatown

We landed on a pile of dead grass with a soft thud. Due to the ropes restraining my hands, Le Frog had to help me to my feet and assist me by brushing off the dirt and grass. "_Bienvenue de nouveau à Animatown, Mia Démone_. (Welcome back to Animatown, Mia Démone.)"

I backed up from the frog and took a look around in both shock and horror. Nothing was as I remembered. All the wonderful colors which had once decorated the buildings were all faded and the buildings were cracked and falling apart. Almost all the windows were boarded up, and the streets were littered with all sorts of trash.

Mean, angry eyes were peering out of the shadows and, even though I despised Le Frog, I clutched his arm in fear as we walked by. He responded by saying softly, "It's alright, Mia. I won't let them hurt you." He even wrapped an arm around my shoulders in an attempt to show he was serious.

Carefully, Le Frog led us to F.O.W.L. headquarters, where Steelbeak was waiting at the gates. "Hello, Mia. Long time, no see." He looked over at Mr. English. "Who's dis guy?" he asked angrily as he untied my hands.

Le Frog casually checked his fingernails. "This man was with Mia when we attacked, so we brought him with us. It is possible he could be of use to the organization."

Steelbeak pondered over that for several moments before he looked me over. "Wow, Mia. You've grown quite a bit since I last saw you, grown into a beautiful lotus blossom." He stepped closer to me. "You're even more beautiful than your mother."

I spat in his face. "No one was or ever will be better than my mother." I paused. "Besides, I'm not all that beautiful."

Le Frog chuckled a little. "You could have fooled me."

"_Vous pourriez m'avoir dupé, aussi_.(You could have fooled me, too.)" I could hear Bezu say to the amusement of the other frogs. The frogs all chuckled, and even I could not keep the smile off my face.

"What did he say, Mia?" asked Steelbeak, eying the frog suspiciously.

I smiled. "He said you're beak is rustier than the car in the junkyard and you smell like you haven't bathed in years." The frogs, who apparently all spoke English as well as French, burst out in hysterical laughter.

"You frogs are lucky ta still be living in Animatown!" Steelbeak shouted angrily over their laughter. "Since all of you were more like accomplices dan actual villains., you should be tankful I convinced headquarters ta allow you room and board inside city limits."

The frogs were immediately silenced, but it was noticeable how much Le Frog hated Steelbeak. He was almost grinding his teeth together as his knuckles started turning white. "_Vous êtes un bâtard et votre mère est une prostituée_," I heard him growl. In order to keep this child appropriate, I will not translate this insult.

"What did you call me, _Hoppy_?" Steelbeak growled back. Both toons were getting closer to each other and I feared a fight would soon arise.

I gently placed a hand on each of the toons' shoulders and said. "Okay, guys. Let's keep this conversation cool, okay?" I looked at Le Frog, then Steelbeak with pleading eyes.

Le Frog slowly backed off before, surprising all of us, he pulled me into his arms. "Will I see you again, _cherie_?"

"Doubtful," snorted Steelbeak, "Unless you want to visit her in prison, 'cuz dat's where she's headin'."

"What?!?" I turned away from Le Frog to face Steelbeak. "Steelbeak, you can't do this to me!"

"I have ta, Mia. It's da rules."

"You saw what prison did to me last time, Uncle Steelbeak! I nearly died in there, first mentally, then physically. The guards abused me physically, both externally . . . and internally." I paused, surprised I could admit to the one toon I hated most the guards had indeed raped me daily during my prison stay. The tears started flowing as I pleaded at Steelbeak's feet, "Please, Uncle Steelbeak, I can't go through it all again. I wouldn't last a day." I held my head in my hands and sobbed. "Please," I whispered.

I could feel hands on my shoulders as Le Frog attempted to comfort me. "Don't worry, _cherie_. I won't let F.O.W.L. take you back to jail." He helped me to rise and led me into the building. "Even if it means talking to High Command myself."

I could hear Steelbeak behind us, shouting, "Wait! You can't get in dere witout approval from de board. It's basically suicide ta walk in dere right now!"

Le Frog paid no heed. He continued to lead me through the halls and into the main room where the three board members were sitting patiently. "We've been expecting you, Le Frog," said the first.

"Have you really?" he asked snidely. "And why is that, High Command?"

The second one eyed me before he spoke. "We had a feeling you may grow emotionally attached to the Hybrid once you met her."

"Actually," said the third, "We assumed you would grow attracted to her physically, as you do with almost every female you meet."

"_Ce n'est pas vrai!" _he shouted at them.

"As untrue as you may seem to believe it is, Le Frog, you are a villain and you are not attracted to anyone or anything emotionally," said the first one in a menacing tone. "You are a cleaner, a mercenary. You kill without emotion, Le Frog. You cannot have emotion for a teenage Hybrid creature!" He was shouting by the end, and I had all but cringed in fear.

I turned to Le Frog, who seemed to grow more and more furious by the second. I had no idea what to say or do; he was a cartoon character and I was a hybrid. I had no idea how to react to these types of situations. I watched as Le Frog turned, his anger seething, and headed for the door.

"We are not finished here, Le Frog," growled the second member. "You have a mission to begin."

"I'm listening," he said from the doorway.

"The Hybrid will be left in your care as well as Steelbeak's," said the third member. "She will be posing as your girlfriend while she and her human friend are gathering the information we need."

"What information?" I asked, cringing a little as Le Frog came closer.

"Government information," replied the first. "After your little hacking stunt last year, we decided you could still be of use to us."

I looked over at the window toward the sea, which no longer shined as it had almost ten years ago. "What would happen should I refuse?"

The Eggmen replied to this question by dragging in Mr. English. The second one said, "If you should refuse, we would have no choice but to exterminate your dear friend, Robert English."

"How do you know his name?" I asked fearfully, gasping as Le Frog twirled me around and held me close.

"We have been watching you for some time now," replied the third. "For the first five years of your return to Earth, everyone believed you were dead, and we reigned supreme. However, Steelbeak was finally able to locate you, and from then on we kept an eye on you and waited for the right moment to bring you back. Now, all of you, go and instructions will be brought to you within the hour."

"This," said Le Frog as he drew me closer. "This will be my best mission ever."

I almost gasped as I felt his hot breath beating against my lips. "I think I'm going to be sick."

I thought he was going to let me go, but instead he picked me up. "I hope this will help you feel better, _cherie_." He gently kissed my neck and I really began to feel ill. _This is going to be the worst day of my entire life_. The Eggmen carried Robert and Le Frog carried me as Steelbeak led them through Animatown.

I glanced around, hoping to recognize a good toon or more. However, I soon learned, my search was in vain. Le Frog explained to me how once I had fallen through the hole, everyone saw the star - which had lit on the day of my birth - go out and then back on in an hour's time. According to Animatown legends, there are as many stars in the sky as there are cartoons in Animatown and if a star goes out, then a cartoon has died. The people had assumed I had died and, being the Hybrid, my star could only remain extinguished for an hour's time.

Le Frog smiled and whispered in my ear. "_Me trouvez-vous attirant, Choisi Une_? (Do you find me attractive, Chosen One?)"

I grimaced. "Not at the moment, Le Frog, and I doubt I ever will." I gasped when I felt his hand move across my back. "What in heaven's name are you doing?!?"

He laughed at me. "I was just adjusting my hands so it was easier to carry you." He smiled his evil smile. "Why, do you like it, _cherie_?"

"NO!" I yelled at him. "I don't like the fact you are carrying me, I don't like the fact you are touching me whenever possible, and I ESPECIALLY don't like it when you call me _CHERIE!"_

He glanced at me to see if I was being truthful, then, when he realized I was, he sat me down and let me walk the remaining distance to Steelbeak's house. "Don't expect the rest of you stay to be too pleasant, _Choisi Une_."

"I didn't expect it to be pleasant at all from the beginning," I replied honestly. I jogged to catch up with Steelbeak. "Congratulations on your promotion, Steelbeak."

"I - we - would have been promoted sooner if we had stayed a team, but no. You had ta get all righteous on me and ruin everything." He turned and glared as we walked. "Why is it every time I meet a freakin' dame from the Real World, I have ta meet one wit morals?"

It was my turn to glare at him. "Steelbeak, I can't help it if righteousness is one of my top priorities and evil deeds is my last priority, but that's how I am, just like that was how my mother was during her lifetime. If you don't like it, then you can take it up with High Command."

"Take what up ta High Command?" he asked, somewhat alarmed by my bringing it up.

I smiled cruelly at him. "I could let it slip that you would rather die than put up with me and my 'righteousness'." I laughed at the expression on his face in a way that was most cruel. We both knew if word reached High Command Steelbeak would rather die than put up with me, he **_would_** die. "If you don't want to face the consequences if I let it out, then I suggest you treat me and Robert with care and respect." I was pushing my luck, but I knew I had to take control of the situation.

"Fine," replied Steelbeak, opening the door to his mansion. "You and your teacher will be treated wit care and respect as long as ya don't tell High Command how I feel 'bout dis whole ting. Deal?"

"Deal." I shook his hand firmly before entering the mansion.

Le Frog came up beside me and lifted me into his arms, startling me. "It is traditional to carry the bride over the threshold, _oui_?"

"Yes, but we're not married," I reminded him.

He smiled. "I know. We are a couple, which, in my opinion, means pretty much the same thing. I am carrying you over the threshold and up to our bedroom."

As he walked over the threshold, I said, "Wait a minute! Our bedroom? Who's idea was that?"

"Steelbeak's," he replied simply, climbing the stairs two at a time.

"STEELBEAK!!!!!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I watched him run cowardly down the hallway. "Just wait until I wrap my hands around your fat neck! You'll wish you never met me! DO YOU HEAR ME STEELBEAK!?!?!?!??!?!??!?!?!??!?" I looked up at Le Frog, who merely smiled as he carried me into my old room and shut the door behind us. "STEELBEAK!!!!!!!!!" This was going to be a **_long_** imprisonment.


	10. An Outside Contact

The next morning I woke up with a major headache and a desperate need to find Robert. Le Frog had purchased a bottle of wine for us to share, but since I was still below the legal drinking age, he had to drink it all himself when I would not let him climb into the same bed with me. He was a happy and silly drunk, though, which was what had kept me up all night and giving me a headache.

I left the bedroom, walked down the hallway, and knocked on Steelbeak's door. "Steelbeak, open up!" When he didn't answer, I knocked a little harder. "Steelbeak, I'm not going to kill you or anything. I just need some asprin and I need to see Robert."

Steelbeak opened his door. "Oh, so now you're on first name basis wit your English teacher, huh?"

I sighed, frustrated and not in the mood for his annoying little ways. "Steelbeak, just tell me where he is so I can be sure you're keeping your end of the bargain."

"You don't trust me?"

I glared at him. "I wouldn't trust anyone who would kill a cop in cold blood."

He knew he was defeated and sighed. "He's in de room next ta yours. I told him he would be free ta move around de mansion and all, but if he tried ta escape, we'd have ta kill him."

"Steelbeak, you wouldn't!"

"It doesn't matter if I wanted to or not," he told me. "I have ta follow orders, Mia, and if dat includes killing Robert English, den dat's what I'll have ta do. I'm sorry, but tings have changed a lot since you disappeared. I can't manipulate High Command anymore, now dat de Great One has taken over Animatown."

I would have questioned him about this Great One, but he closed the door before I could. I turned away from his door and started walking down the hall to Robert's room. I crept silently past my bedroom, hoping Le Frog would **_stay_** passed out for a very long time. I knocked on the door next to mine. "Mister English? It's me, Ang . . . Mia."

Cautiously, Robert opened the door. When he could see for himself it was me, he hugged me and said, "Oh, my God, Angelina! I mean, Mia, oh whatever! I thought you were hurt or dead . . . or worse." He let go and said, "And by the way, you're not my student anymore, so just call me Robert, okay?"

"Um." Normally, I refused to utter that sound, but this was rather akward and he had caught me off-guard. "Okay, then, Robert, are you alright?"

He let me inside and he shut the door behind me. "Physically, I'm fine. However, I'm worried about Amora and Mary Lynn. They must be worried about me."

"Both of our families must be worried, Mister . . . I mean, _Robert_," I said, sitting in the chair across from his bed. I tried to think of a way to cheer him up. "Look on the positive side, Robert. At least you don't have to share your room _and_ you have the opportunity to talk to any cartoon you wish."

"Yeah, that is kind of cool." He paused for a moment then shot a quizzical look at me. "What do you mean by '_At least you don't have to share your room_'? Are you sharing yours?"

"I don't have a choice in the matter," I informed him. "I'm supposed to be Le Frog's girlfriend, so he and Steelbeak decided that he and I should share the same room. Luckily, nothing happened last night, but I don't know how desperate he may become." When Robert shot me another quizzical look, I explained what Le Frog had done last night. "I think he did it to gain my sympathy," I told Robert.

"That's very possible," he agreed. He walked over to the desk on the opposite side of the room, on which a new and rather expensive-looking laptop sat. It was on and apparently Robert had spent some of his time in the room working on the computer and researching. "I've been trying to contact someone for several hours, but no one I know is on right now. The only people on are some college students and I'm not sure who . . ."

"I recognize these usernames!" I sat down in the chair next to the desk. "It's David Aple and Jeanne Guin!" I furiously began typing, then stopped when a large realization hit me. "They're not going to believe we're trapped in the cartoon dimension and look like a couple cartoon characters right now."

"That's true." He glanced down at his hands, as if he still wasn't quite used to the idea of being a cartoon. "Just tell them . . . I had to leave for a special Literacy Conference in . . . France and . . . I needed you to come as a translator. That should keep it cool, right?"

I shrugged. "It's worth a try." I turned back to the computer screen and typed Robert's message to Jeanne and David. Jeanne believed me instantly, which wasn't a big surprise.

David, however, replied; **Angelina, are you okay? When I saw those cartoon characters, I thought I was seeing things.**

I had forgotten David was the one who had spotted us as we were leaving. I replied:** Mister English and I are okay. We're being held prisoner here, and as long as I do what I've been ordered, no one will get hurt. However, I need a way to get at least Robert out of here because I'm sure he'll be the first one they attack.**

There was a slight pause. **I'll do whatever I can to help you, Angelina. I just have to find a way into that dimension.**

I pulled up a web browser, in which it had a description of the opening between Animatown and Earth, which was simply called the Tear.** According to what Robert has researched, the opening only opens on brick walls because of some sort of joke and . . . it can only be opened from the outside (meaning Earth) by some one who has been in Animatown before.**

**What is Animatown?**

**That's the name of this dimension, David. Now, please stay focused, because I need you to do something for me, alright?**

**I'm paying close attention, Angelina.**

**First of all, my real name is Mia Angelina** **Démone, not Angelina Leets. I changed my name to protect my foster family and friends. You can see how well that worked.**

**Yeah.**

**Second of all, I need you to contact Mrs. English. Tell her Robert had an unexpected conference he had to attend in France and he and I left immediately so he wouldn't miss it. I went as his translator.**

**Understood.**

**Third of all, I need you to keep an eye out for any multi-colored circles on brick walls. These circles could be entrances to Animatown and that could be our ticket out of here.**

**Alright, and Mia?**

**Yes?**

**What am I supposed to tell Nate Dink? He's been looking all over for you.**

I paled. I had **_totally_** forgotten about Nate returning to Corry after the semester at college. He had promised to come see me so we could spend some time together until he had to return to the New York Film Academy. So much for that plan.** You have two options, David. You can either tell Nate the story I am telling you or the story Robert is telling his wife. I know you're not good at lying, so if you tell him Robert's story, try your best to keep a straight face and look him right in the eyes, okay?**

**Straight face, look him in the eyes . . . gotcha. Anything else?**

**Tell Brady Dink I was able to go twice to the one place he wanted to go once in his lifetime. He'll _love_ that. Oh, and one more thing, David.**

**Yeah, Mia?**

**Please be careful. Le Frog and his henchfrogs saw you leave and I have a feeling a villain will be sent out there to get you. I don't want to get you too caught up in this massive mess.**

There was a slight pause. **I'll be careful, Mia. Right now, though, I'm more worried about your safety than my own. I don't know what I'd do if you were hurt.**

**I don't know what I'd do, either,** I joked. **I'd better go. Try to contact me later tonight around seven o'clock, okay?**

**Okay. Bye, Mia.**

**Goodbye, David.** I logged off and glanced up at Robert, who was smiling that weird little smile of his. "What?"

"You have a chance to be absolutely incorrect with your spelling and grammar, and you still type as if it's an English paper." He sighed. "I just don't understand you, Ang . . . Mia. Man, that's going to be annoying."

I smiled. "After a while, you'll get used to it."

While we were keeping our conversation positive, I could sense the worry he felt for his wife and daughter. What if he never saw them again? It would be all my fault because I dragged him into this. Me, I was better off in Animatown, where I couldn't drag anyone else into this web of problems. All I could do was hope it wouldn't become any worse.


	11. Escape: Part One

The next few days of our stay in Animatown were rough, especially with the delivery of my first assignment. Robert and I had managed to meet in my room the second day of our stay and were talking about a means of escape when someone - or something - knocked on the balcony window. I sat my glasses on the nightstand and rose off my bed. "Stay here, Robert. I'll check it out."

"Be careful, Mia. Who knows who - or what - made that sound," he told me. "Also, you're supposed to be undercover here. No one is supposed to know Mia Démone is still alive."

I was nearly at the window when someone knocked again. "I know. No one is going to recognize me unless they see the birthmark or the Mark of the Tiger, both of which I'm not going to show off in public. I'll just use Angelina Leets as my cover."

"What about your voice? Surely someone will recognize it."

I paused for a moment. "I'll just talk like I'm from Jersey with a higher, more annoying voice." I pronounced 'Jersey' as 'Joisie" as proof. A third knock on the window reminded me to see who was trying to talk to me. I opened the doors to find no one standing on the balcony. "What the . . . ?" I looked down in front of me to find three smooth stones laying a couple feet in front of me.

I stepped out onto the balcony and picked them up. "Who's out there? Why are you throwing rocks at my window?" I listened for any hint of a reply. The wind rustled through the dying leaves of the cartoon trees in front of me and the dulling waters of the ocean once a magnificent blue had turned a sickly grey and splashed against the rocks below, but no one attempted to reply.

I tried again. "Who is out here? Who - or what - is trying to obtain my attention?"

"That's more like it." A voice boomed menacingly somewhere in the landscape. It sounded metallic, as if someone with a high-pitched voice was whining or complaining through a megaphone, only this was much louder. "I'm not exactly a who. I'm more of a what, human."

I swallowed hard as I searched frantically for the source of the voice hurting my ears. "What are you, evil creature?"

"I'm not exactly a creature, human. I'm an alien being from a far away planet, one that you'll be lucky to even view during your lifetime." The voice grew louder and I almost had to cover my ears.

"What are you?" I shouted, running to the edge of the balcony. His laughter rang in my ears and I felt my eyes welling up with tears of pain. "Where are you?" I screamed to the world, to the unseen voice taunting and teasing my common sense and harassing my logic. "What do you want from me?" I collapsed onto my knees and held my head in my hands as I tried to control my sobbing.

A large thudding sound echoed throughout the otherwise quiet afternoon and the voice was quiet now. "I don't want anything from you, human."

I looked up through my red and slightly swollen eyes. I had to look up until it seemed I would be blinded by what little sunlight peered weakly through the grey clouds and I had to choke back a scream. It was the one enemy I had made as Mia Démone I had hoped I would never see again. It was Starscream. "I want _you_."

I rose quickly and shakily to my feet and made a desperate attempt to flee back into the prison of a house. Starscream merely chuckled and grasped me by the collar or my shirt. I swung wildly, madly, hoping futilely I could knock myself out of Starscream's fingers. He turned me around to face him and the cruelty was obvious on his robotic face as he said, "You are Angelina Leets, correct?"

I swallowed hard again as I looked up at my captor and long-time nemesis. "Yes, I am Angelina Leets."

His dark and cruel smile of absolute evil grew wider and more sinister. "You are Le Frog's girlfriend and Steelbeak's heir." He laughed maniacally and set me down in the palm of his other hand. "This is all too perfect!" He wrapped his fingers around me and I struggled frantically to breathe. "For over ten years, I have waited to avenge myself for the embarrassment Steelbeak caused me in front of Megatron. Now, I can use you to seek revenge on Steelbeak."

I tried to find a simple non-violent way to convey the message. "Would you like me to tell him you stopped by and would like to meet with him?"

He made a face resembling a human eating a very ripe, sour lemon. "No. I'm going to kill you, and, since humans are ten percent energon, I'm going to digest you."

I tried to pull free from his iron grasp, frantically hitting him and shouting for him to put me down, but to no avail. Starscream slowly held me up until I was right above his mouth. His mouth opened wide and I could not see the bottom of the enormous crater-like hole. As I felt myself being lowered, I closed my eyes and hoped to Heaven I would not feel any pain as I died.

Suddenly, a deeper, controlling, metallic voice bellowed. "Starscream, enough!"

Starscream was so startled by the sound of Megatron's voice he nearly dropped me into his mouth anyway. "Why, hello, mighty Megatron. I'm afraid you caught me in the middle of one of my ideas of torturing humans. As you can see, it has an excellent affect on the human."

"Put Angelina Leets down before I decide to talk to the Great One about your disobedience." Megatron's smile was not pleasant. "And you know how well he deals with disobedience."

At that comment, Starscream immediately put me down on the balcony. "Now, we don't need to involve the Great One in this matter, Megatron."

I made sure nothing was broken before I rose to my feet. Robert rushed out onto the balcony. "Angelina, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Robert," I told him. "Please go back inside before one of them decides you'll be a decent replacement."

He paused for a moment to double-check and make sure I was alright before he turned and walked into the building. I turned back to the two Decepticons, who were still discussing on whether or not to bring the Great One into the matter.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," I said loudly, drawing their attention back to me. "If we're done here, then I better get back inside before my boyfriend begins to worry."

"We're not done here, human," growled Megatron. "F.O.W.L. sent Starscream to give you your assignment. They sent me to make sure Starscream didn't kill you in the process." He grabbed the manila folder out of Starscream's hand and handed it to me. "They want it done by the end of the week."

I glanced over the materials. "No problem. Thank you, Mister Megatron."

Megatron glared at Starscream. "Come one, Starscream. We have a lot to talk about when we get back to the base." The two Decepticons transformed and flew away.

As calmly as I possibly could, I walked through the balcony doors . . . and straight into the waiting arms of Le Frog, who embraced me. "Oh, _Mon Dieu_! I cannot believe you did that, _cherie_! You stood up to Starscream and Megatron like a professional. No one in Animatown has been able to stand up to those two for years."

"Yeah, almost eleven years," I muttered under my breath, pulling away from Le Frog. "I'm the only one who's had the guts to stand against evil. You all live normal lives, right?"

Le Frog appeared to be slightly confused. "_Oui, cherie._ That's correct."

"Then why don't you all take a stand? Stand against the Great One and fight for the rights and freedoms you deserve as Animatown citizens." I looked him in the eyes for the first time. "Do you really want to be controlled for the rest of your life? Have you ever even seen this 'Great One'?"

Le Frog stepped back from me and tried to avoid my penetrating stare. "We have all seen him, _cherie_, in one form or another. You see, the Great One is a shape-shifter, changing from one appearance to another in the blink of an eye. That's one of his many number of powers."

He sighed and looked up at me. "Have you ever heard of the Autobots?" When I nodded, he led me out of the room and continued. "They realised the Great One was a powerful threat and attempted to overthrow him from his rule. They were never seen again. The Great One knew others would soon attempt to do likewise, so he ordered all good cartoons be thrown out of Animatown. They still live out there in little camps and I can only wonder how they survive. No one is allowed out of the gates and no one is allowed back in. I just hope you never have to meet the Great One, _cherie_. I have no doubt in my mind the Great One would take someone as kind and gentle as you and, without hesitation, would eat you alive. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I ever let something happen to you."

He gently wrapped an arm around my shoulders and coaxed me back into our room. "Why don't you lay down and rest for a while? You've had a busy day, and I know you have quite a bit of work to do." He gently helped me lay down on the mattress and covered me with the blankets. "Good night, _mon petit chou_." He placed a sweet, quick kiss on my forehead before he left, silently closing the door behind him. As soon as I was sure he had left the hallway, I sat up, wiped his kiss off my forehead, and walked over to the computer screen. I had to finish my assignment as soon as possible so I could research everything I could on Animatown history. If everyone believed I was the Chosen One, then I had to find out what all the prophecies said about the Chosen One.

I had just pulled up an internet browser when someone knocked on the door. "Who is it?" I called out.

"It's Robert, Mia. Please let me in."

I opened the door and led him to a chair sitting next to my bed. "Hi, Robert. Is something wrong?" I had just noticed how pale he appeared.

"Mia, you were nearly eaten by a giant humanoid robot a few minutes ago. Now, you are sitting on your bed, typing on the computer as if nothing had happened. How can you act so calm about it?" He slowly sat in the chair as I returned to my spot on the bed.

I shrugged. "After living here for over five years, I became used to it.. However, I can tell that isn't why you came to talk to me."

"It's just . . . I miss my family so much and who knows if we'll ever make it back to Earth?" He sighed and put his head in his hands. "For all I know, I could end up in your situation. The only difference would be I'm not _the Chosen One_. I would end up dead within twenty-four hours." He silent for a few moments and for the first time since I met him four years before, I heard him sob.

Not knowing what else to do, I put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Robert. I'll make sure you make it back home."

"You can't promise that," he whispered.

I smiled and patted his shoulder. "Trust me, Robert. I have friends in both high and low places in this dimension. I'm sure we can find a way to break you out of here and return you to the human world."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Not expecting anyone, I walked over to the door and listened. "Who is it?" I called out to the stranger.

"Angelina, let me in. It's David."

Surprised and astonished, I opened the door and hurried my friend through the door. "Oh, my gosh, David! Is it really you?"

"It's me, Angelina," he replied. "I was keeping an eye out for an opening in a brick wall, just like you said. As soon as some cartoon rooster opened it and walked away, I jumped in and found my way here. I came to take you guys back home."

Robert instantly brightened at the thought. "We're really going home?"

I turned to him and grinned. "I told you I would make sure you would go back home."

We left immediately, knowing we only had a limited amount of time before Steelbeak returned from the real world. We snuck effortlessly to the brick wall where the Tear in Time and Space lay open. "Okay, Robert," I said to him. "You go first. It's more important for you to go home than me."

He merely nodded."What if it closes while you guys are still over here?"

"Just go straight home once you leave this place," I replied. "We'll keep in touch with you through the chat room through which we contacted David."

He took one last look at us before he jumped through the Tear. Suddenly and without warning, the Tear closed up, blocking my and David's escape. "NO!!" screamed David, clawing at the wall as if the Tear was hidden somewhere underneath the bricks.

Within a few seconds, we were surrounded by Bezu and the rest of Le Frog's henchfrogs. "_Mademoiselle_Démone," said Bezu, posing in a way that was all too familiar. "You are coming with us." The other frogs followed his lead, posing in different kung-fu stances.

I glanced over at David. "Do you think we can take them?"

He was looking back at he wall at something which seemed to be quite horrifying. "I think not."

I followed his gaze to the .9 mm gun Steelbeak was pointing at us. I recognized it as the gun the police officer had pointed at me the same night I was sentenced to life in prison. "Do you always collect things from the people you kill and the lives you've ruined?" I asked him spitefully.

He slapped me across the face. "I show you all sorts of hospitality and give you all kinds of freedom and dis is how you repay me, by trying to escape?"

"I wasn't planning on leaving, Metal Mouth!" I spat angrily. "I was just trying to get my friends out of here. They don't belong here any more than my mother did."

"Well," he chuckled, looking over at David. "You weren't very successful, now were you, Angelina?" He pointed the gun at David. "From now on, dis guy is gonna stay in de prison while you do your work. You will do what I say when I say it, understood?"

I looked from him, to David, back to Steelbeak. I knew I was defeated. "I understand, sir." In my heart, though, I knew I was just going to have to find a way to keep David safe until I could return him to his own world.


	12. A Plan

My life in Animatown was growing more difficult as the days passed without hope of ever returning David to Earth. I could only visit him when I had finished an assignment, and that was only permitted so F.O.W.L. had enough time to look over my accomplished assignment and bring me a new one by the end of the day.

I rarely left the mansion other than my visits to the prison. Once in a while, Steelbeak showed me the sights or Le Frog would take me with him to buy wine and mushrooms. Even when I was permitted to leave the mansion alone, I wouldn't dare to leave. I was afraid of this world for the first time in my life and I no longer wished to be a part of this alternate universe. There were days when I would just curl up into a ball on my bed and cry, wishing none of this had ever happened and I was a normal human, just like everyone else. If it wasn't for Animatown, David wouldn't be in danger.

A few days after David's capture, I was cleaning the room and discovered a picture frame facing down in the top drawer of one of the nightstands. I picked it up and wiped away the dust it apparently had been collecting for almost ten years. It was the picture of me and my mother during our last Christmas together.

I shut the drawer and stared at the picture for a very long time. For the most part, I looked like her. I had her same eye color and hair color. The height and face appeared to be about the same. The only difference seemed to be the bone structure. While my mother was very thin and appeared to be 100 pounds soaking wet, I looked about 200 pounds totally dry. I had very broad shoulders and very thick arms and legs. I was not out of shape, I was not even close to being obese. If I was under 160 pounds, I looked anorexic and needed to eat more to keep a steady weight of 175 pounds. Obviously, that was the only trait I had obtained from my father, whoever he was.

I walked back over to my bed and sat the picture up on the nightstand next to it. I sat down and continued to watch it, as if I could stare it long enough and my mother would pop out of the picture and into this world, alive and well. However, I knew this would never happen. I had no reason to believe my mother was ever going to come back into my life. I touched the picture with the tips of my fingers, wishing she was real.

"I left dat picture here." Steelbeak came into the room and sat next to me on the bed. "We sent your suitcase back to your old house and, since I knew you wouldn't be allowed ta access it, I left de picture here. I hope ya don't mind."

"I don't," I said softly. I closed my eyes as the tears began to flow. "I miss her so much, Uncle Steelbeak. I wish . . . "

"I know." He placed a hand on my shoulder, the first fatherly thing he had done to me. "And I miss her, too. Some days, I wish your mother was still here, talkin' wit us and bein' de wonderful woman she was. But, if it wasn't for what she did ta protect ya, I'd probably never know you as closely as I do now. I wouldn't have any idea how ta be a fadder or how ta protect someone I love." He paused as if he was waiting for my approval or my acknowledgement of his existance. When I didn't answer, he said, "I know you probably hate me, or maybe you're mad at de whole world right now, but you can't sulk in your room for the rest of your life. It's been almost a month since your arrival and you've rejected bot me and Le Frog when we haven't done anyting ta provoke you. It's as if you want us to hate you, but we can't because we're cartoons, not humans. Only humans can hate, cartoons aren't drawn or created to hate. De closest we can come to hating someone is 'disliking dem wit great passion beyond belief'."

He sighed and rose to his feet, walking slowly to the door. Before he left, he quietly told me, "Le Frog and I are going to dinner and we were hopin' you'd join us. We'll be leaving around seven o' clock, if your interested." He closed the door behind him.

I sat there for a moment, simply stunned by his speech. That was something of which I had never thought Steelbeak capable. I was about to go deeper in thought over this when there was a knock on my balcony door. "If it's Starscream again, I'm going to scream."

A second knock on the door made me stand up. "If you're Starscream, I'm going to scream and make sure the Great One knows you're bothering me again."

There was silence. For a moment, I believed the uninvited visitor had left. I sat back down and started searching for my glasses, which had somehow disappeared. A third knock on the window annoyed me. It also made me wonder if my glasses had fallen off during my struggle with Starscream. Slowly, I rose to my feet and walked over to the window-doors. I opened the doors and peered outside. There were three stones laying on the floor of the balcony, all of which were near my glasses.

I sighed. "I hope those aren't scratched too bad." After all, it was not like I would be able to return to Earth in order to purchase a new pair. I walked out onto the balcony and picked up the glasses, peering through the lenses. "What do you know? There isn't even one scratch on the lenses." Suddenly, a rock flew up and, although it missed the glasses, it hit me right between the eyes. "What the heck . . . ? What's the bright idea?"

"Are you Angelina Leets?" said a voice from down below.

I walked over to the edge of the balcony and glanced down into the garden. A tall, broad figure was standing at the edge of the garden, hiding in the shadows. "Are you Angelina Leets?" he repeated.

"Who are you?" I asked. I recognized the voice from somewhere, but I just could not place it. "I will not reveal who is Angelina Leets until you reveal your identity, sir."

He was silent for a very long time. After several minutes, I was afraid he was going to leave without answering me. Finally, he stepped out of the shadows, revealing his true identity to be Bruce Wayne. "Do you trust me now?"

I smiled. "Yes, I trust you Bruce. Yes, I am Angelina Leets, but you know me better as Mia Démone."

"I know who you are," he replied. "I watched as you tried to help your friends escape. I'm sorry you couldn't save your other friend. David, right?"

"Correct. I wish I could have saved him from a life in prison, but there was nothing to be done."

"What if you could arrange for something to be done tonight?"

I looked down at him, slightly puzzled. "I'd do it. Why do you ask?"

"They are planning on killing both you and David when you have finished all of the assignments," he replied. "The worst part is, they weren't going to tell you about it."

"How can we stop it?" I asked angrily.

"See if you can visit David and, if you can, tell him to wrap a scrap of clothing around a bar on his window and . . . a friend of mine will know of which cell to brake him out. Then, if you can find a way outside, we'll rescue you from there." He sighed. "The only thing that worries me right now is the possibility of one of the villains discovering our plan."

"Unless there is one out there," I said to him, "no one will find out."

"Good. Do you have any idea how to get out of the house?"

I paused and thought for a moment. "I could strike a deal with Steelbeak. He said he and Le Frog are going out to dinner tonight. I can tell him I'll go with them if they let me visit David. Steelbeak will unknowingly be helping me and my friend escape! Oh, the irony is perfect!" I smiled down at Bruce. "I'll do what I can to make sure the plan works."

"Do your best, Mia," he replied. "Good luck." He backed into the shadows and then he was gone.

I walked out of my room and out into the hallway, searching for Steelbeak and Le Frog. "Is anybody here?" I shouted. "Hello? Steelbeak? Le Frog? Anybody? Helloooooooo?" For some reason, I could not find either of them anywhere and I was beginning to wonder what had happened during the conversation between me and Bruce. "What do I need to do to get some attention around here?"

Suddenly, Le Frog was in front of me. "Give me a little kiss, _cherie_, and I'll pay as much attention to you as you want." He swept me into his arms and leaned in for a kiss.

"Le Frog, put Mia . . . I mean put Angelina down!" Steelbeak rounded the corner and Le Frog, startled, dropped me. "We don't you makin' out wit Angelina in de middle of de hallway." He held out a hand and helped me to my feet. "Now, what did you want?"

"I decided I would join you for dinner," I replied, smiling a little as both of their faces lit up with excitement. "However, I will only go with you on one condition; I must see David before we leave for dinner."

The two toons looked at each other, totally surprised by my request. Steelbeak turned back to me. "Did you finish your latest assignment?"

"Yes, Steelbeak, I did."

He shrugged. "Den I don't see why you can't go see your friend right now. Let's go, Angelina."

Le Frog held out his arm and, since we were a dating couple to the outside world, I graciously took it and let him lead me out the door. We walked silently for a few moments on our way to the prison before Le Frog began talking. "So, Angelina, I have a quick question for you."

I turned to him and faked a smile. "Yes, Le Frog?"

He leaned closer to me and whispered, "Why do you hate me so much?"

I did a double-take, surprised by his observation. "Le Frog, that's preposterous! I never said . . . "

"You didn't have to say anything, _cherie_," he replied softly. "I could see it in your face and your body language. You obviously hate me for some reason I can't explain. Why is that?"

I swallowed quickly in order to buy myself time to think. "Le Frog, I can't say I am _very_ fond of you, partially because it was one of your team members who killed my foster father. However, I can't say I _hate_ you either. The incident was accidental. Your henchfrog apologised for his actions and I forgave him, but that pain I felt from seeing Nathan's face as he died . . . that will never go away entirely." I looked away, trying to hide the tears which were beginning to fall. "I can't help thinking it was my fault as well."

"_Cherie_!" exclaimed Le Frog, stopping in the middle of the street and turning me to face him. "Don't you ever believe it was your fault, because it wasn't."

I shook my head, chuckling weakly though my tears. "It is partially my fault, Le Frog. I dragged Nathan and his family into this mess, and now Nathan is dead, Robert is in danger, and David is in danger _of_ dying! If it wasn't for me, they would all be alive and safe from this dimension and the evil inside it." I tried to turn away again, the tears falling heavier than before.

Le Frog held tight though and pulled me closer to him. "If it is your fault, _cherie_, then please don't let out all your anger and guilt on me. I know my henchfrog accidentally killed your foster father, but if it was an accident, then you should have no hatred for us. I care for you more than I have cared for any other woman, and that scares me a little, but I don't take my fear out on you." He embraced me, not tightly enough to choke me, but firmly enough to reassure me. "If nothing else, Angelina, then let my shoulder be the one you can cry on."

Slowly, I returned Le Frog's embrace, strangely feeling comforted by this cartoon villain. I buried my head in his shoulder and let out all the pain I had let build up inside me. For the first time in my life, I felt as if some one had led me completely out of the darkness I had been experiencing for over twelve years. Le Frog gently rubbed my back, sweetly cooing, "It's alright, Angelina. I'm here for you."

I finally let it all out and finished crying. I stood straight again and gracefully accepted the handerchief Le Frog offered me to dab the remaining tears from my eyes. I warmly smiled my real smile at Le Frog and softly kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Le Frog. For once in my life, I feel I really do have someone upon whom I can depend." I kissed him on the other cheek and let it linger a little longer than before, then took his arm again as we continued to the prison.

We entered the dark and drafty prison and horrible memories flashed through my mind. I remembered the pain and the agony I had suffered during my four-year stay and I gripped Le Frog's arm a little tighter. He noticed my fear and whispered, "What's wrong, _cherie_?"

I swallowed hard as we walked through the dark tunnels. "Nothing, _mon cher, _just bad memories from a long time past." We remained silent as Steelbeak led us deeper into the dungeon. Le Frog softly wrapped one of his arms around me while the other held my hand as we walked ever so slowly through the winding corridors.

When we stopped at David's cell I was about ready to faint. As if to torture me, High Command had moved David from his old cell and placed him in the same cell in which I had been five years ago. Steelbeak turned and said, "Here ya go, Angelina. You can only be in dere for fifteen minutes . . . Hey, what's wrong?"

I guessed I must have looked white as a sheet. I looked away from the cell door and straight at Steelbeak. "Nothing is wrong, Steelbeak. I just . . . have a few bad memories in this particular cell." I walked through the open door and found David sitting at a table. _They must still bring it in everytime the prisoner has a visitor_, I thought grimly, remembering how they brought it in every time Steelbeak came to visit me.

"Mia, is that really you?" David asked, slowly rising to his feet. He was paler now than he had been when he came to rescue me and Robert. He was a little thinner, too.

"Hi, David. It's great to see you again." I sat down at the table and whispered, "David, I have some very important information to give you. Bruce Wayne and a friend of his is going to help you escape."

"What?!" David whispered loudly.

"Sh!" I hushed him, afraid Steelbeak and Le Frog might be listening. "They are going to break you out later tonight. Here, take this." I handed him a scarf I had stuffed in my shirt sleeve. "Tie this around one of the bars on your window and they will know which cell you're in." I glanced around the room, wishing they had put David in a different cell.

"Mia, is something wrong? You look like you just saw a ghost."

I looked at David and noticed how concerned he was about me. I shook my head and felt my forhead with the palm of my hand. "I have several memories of this cell, terrible memories of when I was a prisoner."

I looked up and suddenly I was in a flashback, seeing myself entering the second year of my imprisonment. I started describing what I saw to David. "I was ten years old and very, _very _thin after just one year of living in this heck hole of a prison. I had not seen the sunlight in at least a year and a half, simply because the guards had purposely blocked the window. A little stack of hay was the only comfort I had in my life, so I used it as a bed. My meals were usually stale bread and water twice a day, nothing more. The largest guard regularly came into the cell to beat me, to whip me, and to . . . and to . . . r-r-rape me."

I shuddered at the mere thought of how I had been violated. I noticed Le Frog and Steelbeak standing at the door, but I continued with my story. "The only visitor I had was my . . . Uncle Steelbeak, and at that point, I was absolutely furious with him and wanted nothing to do with him. I would chase him away whenever possible, which was not very often. My daily beatings left me weak and helpless most of the time. The only two days of the year I wasn't beaten were Christmas and my birthday. That was my gift, to not be beaten."

I closed my eyes as tears began to form. "On my thirteenth birthday, I was able to escape with the help of Penguin. However, because I cared enough to protect him when my enemies attacked, I was nearly shot to death. Now, I have no idea what condition Penguin is in or why he wanted to help me because no one will tell me and I have no safe way of finding out on my own." I looked up to David and noticed he appeared ready to cry with me. I wiped away the tears and stood up.

"I need to go David. Goodbye, and I'll see you again soon." We shared a small embrace before I turned and walked out the door. Le Frog gently wrapped his arms around me to comfort me as Steelbeak shut the cell door.

"Mia, I had no idea dey treated you dat badly," Steelbeak managed to whisper. "If I had known, I would have told High Command to do sometin'."

"Never mind, Steelbeak," I said quietly, letting Le Frog hold me against his chest. "What's done is done and nothing can change that. Besides, I don't blame you for what happened within these walls; I just blame you for putting me in here." With that being said, I allowed Le Frog to lead me out of the prison with Steelbeak trailing behind us.

Step one was complete. Now it was all up to Bruce Wayne and Batman.


	13. A New Twist

Before we could attend dinner, we all decided it would be best if I purchased a formal dress to wear at the restaurant. Le Frog, Steelbeak, and I searched one of the local dress shops for something we thought in which I would look extremely beautiful. Steelbeak showed me a blue dress which was very beautiful, but I was very uncomfortable with the high slits up the sides and the _extremely_low neck line. There was an exquisite raven-black dress that was much, much more modest than the one Steelbeak showed me, but there were none in my size.

Finally, we decided to go with Le Frog's choice. He brought it to me first for a close inspection. It was completely white with stunning white sequins, beads and diamonds dancing around the belt. It had a single strap which connected behind the neck and the neck line was lower than anything I normally wore, but it was more modest than the one Steelbeak had liked. I touched the fabric and loved the smoothness and gentleness I knew it would give me when I wore it. We took it to the cashier, paid for it, and returned to the mansion with the dress in hand.

Le Frog allowed me privacy as I changed into the dress. I had just finished brushing my hair as I watched my dress-wearing self in the mirror when all of the sudden there came a knock at the window. Cautiously, I opened the balcony window-doors not to find Megatron, nor Starscream, but Thundercracker. "Are you Angelina Leets?" His accent reminded me of a country boy.

"Yes, I am," I replied in my Jersey-accented voice. "Where's Megatron?"

"He's a'plannin' somethin', Miss Leets. Sent me to give ya the newest assignment." Thundercracker handed me a red folder, only this one was three times thicker than usual. "I hope this won't be too much trouble for ya."

I scanned the papers briefly. "It shouldn't be too much trouble. Thank you, sir."

"Aw, weren't nothin'." I could have sworn Thundercracker blushed. "And might I add how nice you look tonight, Miss Leets."

I knewI was blushing. "Thank you, Thundercracker."

"Thundercracker!" I heard Starscream's whining voice long before he came into view and transformed. "What are you doing still standing here?"

"Well, Miss Leets wanted ta know where Megatron was, so I tol' her he was bust," Thundercracker nervously informed him. "And . . . "

"And I heard you flirting with her, you iron idiot!" Starscream spat angrily. "Quit flirting with the human scum and get back to the base. No one is supposed to be off base except those delivering the folders, and even those individuals shouldn't be gone for more than five minutes."

I laughed out loud. "Then," I said through my giggling fit. "Why have you been out patrolling the house for the past fifteen minutes? I saw you flying overhead as the three of us entered the house and I saw you through the skylight, passing over the house several times."

Starscream was fuming so bad, I was afraid he might explode. "Thundercracker, get out of here right now before I report you to Megatron and the Great One! You!" He pointed a fat metallic finger at me. "If I were you, human, I'd stay out of the way before I got hurt or killed."

"First of all, if you were me, I'd be ugly." I smirked uncontrollably as Starscream did everything in his power to control his temper before he smashed me into the granite of the balcony. "Second, you can't hurt or kill me because F.O.W.L. would be after your hide. Third, I suggest you return to the Decepticon base before _I_report you to Megatron and the Great One for attempting to discover a way to seek revenge on Steelbeak and me."

Apparently, that was exactly what he was doing because his jaw dropped. He collected himself and his anger was so great I could almost feel its radiation."Just remember, human, Megatron is the only thing holding me back from killing you." Starscream's smile was pure evil. "If you are ever out all alone at night, and Megatron isn't around, then who can tell I didn't accidentally turn a pretty little brunette into an ugly smear on the sidewalk." He transformed into a jet. "See ya 'round, human." He flew off without another word.

I closed the wondows and set the assignment on my bed. "I'm glad I've made so many friends as Angelina Leets," I muttered angrily as I applied eye liner and mascara.

It was exactly 7:53 when Le Frog and Steelbeak walked down the stairs. "I thought you said to meet here at exactly seven-fifty," I said teasingly to Steelbeak, tapping the face of my watch.

He chuckled. "I guess I lost track of time. I tink dat dress looks really nice on you, Angelina. I tink dat suits your style much more dan de one I was gonna have ya wear."

I turned to Le Frog. "What do you think?"

He was staring at me open-mouthed. "_Cherie,_ you look . . . _absolument magnifique_. You put the rose to shame with your beauty."

I blushed a darker shade of red than when Thundercracker complimented me earlier. "Thank you, Le Frog." I graciously took his arm and followed the two men out into the public.

As we walked through the streets, I kept an eye on the skies. I glanced over at Le Frog when I noticed he was staring at me. "What?"

"Why do you keep looking up at the stars?" he asked me, puzzled.

I laughed a little. "I'm watching out for Starscream. The last thing I need is to be squished before my first official dinner with you." I smiled when Le Frog laughed warmly. "I know he's not allowed to harm me, but I would rather be safe than sorry."

We stopped in front of a nightclub which could immediately be defined as inappropriate. The _Naughty Nightclub_was the darkest lighted building on the entire block. I watched as a few good toons walked in wearing uniforms while a large mob of bad toons walked in wearing their every-day clothing. "What was that all about?" I asked.

"What was what all about?" asked Le Frog.

"Well, the good toons were all in uniform and the bad toons were dressed casually," I said as we drew closer to the door. "I just . . . didn't understand why . . . "

"I can explain dat for ya, Angelina," said Steelbeak as he handed the bouncer a twenty, allowing us entrance. "Ya see, de Great One was gracious enough ta spare de lives of de good toons. However, de good toons were sayin' de'd starve if dey couldn't stay in de city. Derefore, de Great One decided ta set up a special system. De good toons could come inta da city for two days per week as long as dey worked de rest of de week."

I was disappointed Animatown had been driven this far down into chaos. I had never imagined my absence would cause this much disarray. I glanced up at Steelbeak who was watching me curiously. "I never thought F.O.W.L. was capable of such disaster. If I knew this was going to happen, I never would have left Animatown."

"Please, _cherie_, don't leave," said Le Frog, holding onto my arm a little tighter than before. "Can we please go inside and enjoy a nice meal together without any anger involved."

I looked down at Le Frog and, for some unexplainable reason, I smiled. "Alright, Le Frog, I promise I won't leave here upset or angry . . . unless you two are angry and upset, too."

The two toons, although bitter at each other ninety percent of the time, smiled and agreed. We were led to a table reasonably close to the stage, where Betty Boop was performing in her original black and white. It was a beautiful display of her vocal talent and her excellent foot work. I had never seen anything so spectacular in Earth. When the song and dance number was over, my applause was the loudest of all.

Mickey Mouse walked onto the stage. "That was Miss Betty Boop performing _Once Upon A Time_, ladies and gentlemen." Once the applause had died down, he said, "Before we continue with our regularly scheduled program, we have just been informed we have a very special guest here at the _Naughty Nightclub_and she is a wonderful singer. Ladies and gentlemen, let's see if we can get . . . Angelina Leets to come up here and sing us a song!"

The spotlight shone on me and I was just as surprised as any. I looked at Steelbeak and Le Frog, hoping they had pulled this stunt to surprise me, but they were just as surprised as I. A couple toons, I couldn't see whom, lifted me up and placed me on the stage. I smiled weakly at the audience as Mickey Mouse handed me the microphone. I looked down at him and asked, "Do you have a piano and a chorus, or something like that?"

"Sure we do!" He snapped his fingers and in a second a piano and a chorus were on the stage with me.

I walked with grace over to the pianist. "What songs do you know, Daffy?"

Daffy winked at me. "I know all sorts of songs, Miss Leets. Just tell me a song and I'll play it." He had a lisp, which became obvious with every 's' he hissed.

I gently wiped his saliva off my face. "Then I want you to play _I Won't Forget You_ by Poison."

"No problemo." He began playing the music and the chorus hummed along.

I turned toward the audience, facing the bright spotlight which made them all disappear. "This is one of my favorite songs, so I hope you'll enjoy it." I waited for a few moments before I began the first verse.

"Late at night I close my eyes  
And think of how things could have been  
And when... I look back  
I remember some words you had said to me

It's better to have lost at love  
Then never to have loved at all

I won't forget you baby  
(I won't forget you)  
Even though I could  
I won't forget you baby  
(I won't forget you)  
Even though I should, yeah

Sometimes in my head  
I can still see pictures of you  
And I laugh... to myself  
When I think of all those crazy things that we used to do

Although miles come between us  
Just between you and me

I won't forget you baby  
(I won't forget you)  
Even though I could  
I won't forget you baby  
(I won't forget you)  
Even though I should, well

I should let you fade away  
But that just wouldn't be me  
Oh, baby

Although miles come between us  
Just between you and me

I won't forget you baby  
(I won't forget you)  
Even though I could  
I won't forget you baby  
(I won't forget you)  
Even though I should, yeah

I won't forget you baby  
(I won't forget you)  
Memories slowly fade  
I won't forget you baby  
(I won't forget you)  
And all the plans we made

I won't forget you baby"

Never had I heard such an enthusiastic crowd in my entire career of performing. I curtsied as roses of red, white, and pink landed on the stage. I motioned to Daffy and the Cartoon Chorus and the audience clapped again. I laughed a little as the audience chanted, "Encore! Encore!"

I looked down at Steelbeak and Le Frog. Steelbeak shrugged, a sign of his approval. Le Frog stared up at me in awe, his green eyes wide and his mouth was open. "If you do not sing for the audience, I will not forgive you for the rest of our lives."

I suppressed a smile as I said, "I guess I can sing a few more before I dine." The crowd was estatic. All of my favorite songs about lost love were the first in my line-up and they were _Every Rose Has Its Thorn_ by Poison_, Love Bites _by Def Leppard_, It's All Coming Back to Me Now_ by Meat Loaf_, _and _You Give Love a Bad Name _by Bon Jovi. I even sang _Lips of An Angel _and _Better Than Me_ by Hinder. I took my final bow and the audience cheered and applauded like I was a celebrity.

I waved, then noticed a few particular people near the exit applauding my performance. First, I saw Batman and David, who I had half expected to show up. However, I did not expect to see Jeanne Guin or Nate Dink standing right next to them. I was astounded and worried they would be caught. Apparently, I had other things to worry about.

"Nice performance, Miss Leets."

I turned around to find Penguin and his kabuki twins pointing their weapons at my head and neck. I swallowed hard, trying to decide my best course of action. "Thanks, Penguin. W-what do you w-want?" Stupid. Of all things to do, you should never let an enemy know you are afraid of them. Stuttering is never the right thing to do.

He smiled wickedly at me, his eyes hidden under the brim of his very large top hat. "Revenge, Miss Leets. Revenge against an enemy who caused the death of my wife and daughter. An enemy who caused me so much pain and suffering I was lucky to survive the past five years. Girls!" He snapped his fingers.

One kabuki twin twisted my arms behind my back while the other held the bladed-fingers uncomfortably close to my neck. "Uncle Steelbeak, Le Frog! Please, help me!"

Penguin turned to Steelbeak, who had stood up in an attempt to grab a weapon. Penguin turned his umbrella weapon into a flame-thrower. "Unless you want fried chicken with your order, I suggest you sit down, Metal Mouth." He turned quickly to Le Frog, who was about ready to pounce. "French-fried frog legs can be added to the menu." Le Frog silently sat back down, fear revealed in his eyes as he glanced in my direction.

I gulped a breath of air in fear. Penguin had changed since I had seen him last, enough I now feared him above all my other enemies. I watched him as he drew closer, his eyes filled with all he had been caused through his belief I was dead. He pushed a button on his umbrella and it changed from a flame-thrower to a blade. I flinched as he laid it softly on the skin over my jugular veins. He scraped it a little on the skin and I gasped in terror. "Please, Penguin, don't . . ."

He pressed it into my skin, but not enough to cause bleeding. I was breathing so hard and so rapid I was afraid too hard of breathing would be the death of me. I closed my eyes and calmed my breathing, but I did not forget it was possible I might die that very instant. "Please, Penguin, don't. You don't have to do this."

"I think you're right, Miss Leets."

I opened my eyes in surprise, wondering why Penguin was agreeing with me. He turned to the crowd. "I don't have to kill Miss Leets . . . here."

I shook my head. No matter what, I was going to be killed. What in the world was I supposed to do now? "Penguin, don't, please, I beg of you."

"Silence!" He pointed to umbrella weapon at me and I immediately stifled myself. "We are taking Miss Leets somewhere in or outside the city. If you can find her by dusk, she will still be alive." He flipped his umbrella over and it became a hovercraft, in which I, the kabuki twins, and Penguin stepped and began flying upward.

If I didn't think of a way out of this little predicament soon, I was going to be dead before I even reached my nineteenth birthday. I tried to pull away, but Penguin whacked me in the back of the head. As I began to see dark shapes and shadows, one word entered my head before I was totally consumed by the darkness of unconsciousness. Stupid.


	14. Escape: Part Two

I woke up feeling very cramped. My legs would not move very far forward and I was almost sitting in the fetal position. I touched the top of my head, which was still sore, and tried to recollect what had happened before I was knocked unconscious. I remembered singing in front of a large crowd, bowing at their applause, and . . . Penguin nearly killing me in front of everyone. I tried to stand up, but wherever I was, I was too short to stand.

Suddenly, my eyes were temporarily blinded by a light which appeared out of nowhere. I blinked a few times before I was able to focus. I was sitting in a large birdcage, one probably built for a vulture. Penguin stood in front of me, holding a birdcage cover, which was what I assumed had been covering my cage. I scooted back as far as I possibly could in the cage, anything to get away from the villain I had adored so long as a growing child. So much for role models. "Where am I?" I asked, almost too quietly.

Penguin smiled. "Why, Miss Leets, you're in Cobbelpot Manor, home of my ancestors. I'm sure you have found the cage to be quite accommodating." He did not wait for me to reply. "It is nearly dusk, Miss Leets. Are you ready to prepare for your death?"

I swallowed. "I . . . I . . . Penguin, you must stop this before you end up in deep trouble with F.O.W.L."

He laughed spitefully. "F.O.W.L.? I could care less what they do to me anymore!"

"No, Penguin, you don't understand what I'm trying to tell you."

His smile turned into a nasty frown as he turned the umbrella weapon into a flame-thrower. "I understand you are trying to stall for time."

I tried to back up, but there was nowhere left to go. "Penguin, I am the Chosen One!"

"Impossible," he snapped, "The Chosen One was killed five years ago, shot to death by Steelbeak and F.O.W.L." He drew closer with the flame-thrower.

"Penguin, I . . ." I was hit with a realization so hard I almost stopped feeling the heat radiating from his weapon. "Penguin, didn't you say you almost couldn't survive the past five years?"

"Yeah, why?"

I swallowed hard, hoping I was right. "Five years ago, I was sitting in a cell in F.O.W.L.'s prison, crying over a drawing of my thirteenth birthday cake. You came in somehow and helped me escape, telling me you owed something to my mother. Steelbeak attacked us and I was shot several times in order to protect you." I paused to let him absorb it all. "I survived that nearly-fatal attack, Penguin. I've been living on Earth for the past five years . . . Dad."

"Don't call me that!" he growled. However, he did turn off the flame-thrower. "How can I know for sure you are my daughter?"

"Test me," I replied. "If I am truly your daughter, then I would know everything my mother would have told me about the Animatown world."

"Which wasn't much," Penguin remarked snidely. "Fine, Miss Leets, I'll test you. Go back to Steelbeak's house and steal back the only present Mia Angelina Démone's father ever sent to her. If you can bring it back here and prove to me you really are Mia Angelina Démone, I will let you live. Otherwise, you will die, understood?"

I gulped. "Yeah, I understand."

Penguin unlocked the cage and let me out. However, he grabbed my wrist and placed a thin bracelet tightly around it. "My birds will come and collect you at dawn if you have not returned by then, my pretty. Don't try to remove it either, because every time you try to take it off, the bracelet gets tighter." He led me to the door and shoved me outside. "And remember, Miss Leets, you have until dawn to retrieve the gift." He slammed the door shut behind me.

I started running toward Steelbeak's house, sticking mostly in the shadows. I knew what was the gift; the necklace was the only gift my father had ever sent to me. The only problem was trying to figure out where Steelbeak would have hid it. I ran until my legs were sore, and then I ran some more. It was not the fact I would die which kept me running; it was the thought I would die and my father would never know I really was his daughter.

I reached the stairs of Steelbeak's mansion at the same time Batman did. "Mia, you're alive!"

"Barely," I replied. I gave him a short summary of what had happened. "Now I have to find the locket I received on my sixth birthday by dawn or Penguin will kill me and, unknowingly, kill his own daughter," I concluded.

"Steelbeak is at F.O.W.L. trying to locate you," Batman told me. "Le Frog started searching different abandoned warehouses for you, so no one is home. Go ahead upstairs and I'll keep a lookout while you retrieve the necklace."

Without hesitation, I bounded up the stairs and into the house. Assuming Steelbeak had hid it in his own room, I checked there first. After half on hour of turning his room upside down, I furiously decided I had searched in his room in vain. There was no sign of the necklace at all in his room. I ran down the hall to Robert's old room, but there still was no necklace to be found.

Eventually, I decided it had to be somewhere in my room. I searched high and low and - after much deliberation - I found a small wrapped-up parcel under my mattress. Slowly and carefully, I unwrapped the parcel. The diamond-embedded gold locket shone as brightly as the day I received it. I opened it, but the photographs were not in such good condition. The picture of 'Ozzie' had been scratched away, which I believed to be from Steelbeak out of a fit of jealousy or rage. I would have to explain that to Penguin later.

I stashed it away in one of my pockets and was about to leave when a sound outside my window caught my attention. I was fighting between my common-sense and my curiosity when something black smashed through the balcony doors and onto the floor of my room. I was almost afraid to touch it, but once I drew close enough to observe, I realized it was Batman. I could see Starscream outside the window, and he was about to reach in and grab both of us. Looking around the room for something to use as a weapon, I saw my hair-straightener, which I must have left plugged in when I left for the _Naughty Nightclub_. I grabbed it and, when Starscream shoved his hand through the window and was able to scratch a sleeve of my dress off, I jammed it into the gears of one of his fingers.

Starscream yelped and jerked his hand back out of the window. As he struggled to remove the hot weapon, I grabbed Batman and lugged him onto my shoulder. As I slowly dragged him through the house, I could hear Starscream tearing the wall in my room apart. He must have realized I was no longer there, for then great destructive noises rang throughout the entire mansion and he screamed, "You may have gotten away, human, but I know who you really are! I could not mistake the birthmark! I will find and kill you, Mia Angelina Démone. I will be remembered as the one who killed the Chosen One!"

I ran out of the house as best I could and didn't stop until I reached a darkened alley, resting on an old manhole cover. I knew it wouldn't be long before Starscream revealed to everyone who I was really. I needed a place to hide, but where? I was about to run again when Batman mumbled, "Sewers."

I was surprised by his remark at first, but then I realized what he was trying to tell me. We had a better chance hiding in the sewers than anywhere else. I stood up and removed the manhole cover. I picked up Batman and gently lowered him into the sewers before I, too, began to descend into the darkness.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp tinge of pain hit my left shoulder. I turned around to find several F.O.W.L. eggmen headed my direction. I could not risk Batman's life by continuing my descent, and I was about to surrender when a smoke cloud appeared out of nowhere. I turned to look behind me and there stood Darkwing Duck. He whispered, "Get down there, Chosen One. I'll distract them!" As I finished descending into the darkness, I could hear him say, "I am the terror that flaps in the night..." When he placed the cover back on the manhole, the rest of his famous quote was blocked out.

I bent down over Batman and gently picked him up. "Which way now, Batman?" I asked him quietly.

He raised his head a little, as if to gather his senses, then shakily raised his right hand to point in the direction he wanted us to go. As soon as I was sure I had a good grip on the wounded superhero, I limped my way down the tunnel and, hopefully, to a new hope.

Several hours later, I stopped to catch my breath, setting Batman down in a sitting position. The throbbing pain in my shoulder had continued to increase with every step I took and I knew I would eventually have to remove the bullet lodged somewhere in my body. I sat next to Batman and realized he needed more medical attention than I. I started to roll up the shirt of his costume, but he grabbed my hand and whispered, "No."

I sighed. "You need medical attention, Batman. I'm not going to remove your cape and cowel; I'm just going to remove the shirt so I can make sure you didn't break any ribs."

Reluctantly, he allowed me to remove the shirt. From what I could see, he had broken at least one rib, but it hadn't caused any other damage. "If I had some kind of cloth, I could wrap you up and you would heal a little better."

"Take . . . my cape and . . . rip it into strips." He carefully removed the cape and handed it to me.

"Are you sure you want me to do that?" I asked him.

"I have several other capes," he replied quietly.

I did my best to rip the cape into strips, whether my blood dripped on it or not. As far as I was concerned, as long as he did not have any open wounds, which he did not, it would not cause a problem. I gently wrapped the cloth strips around his chest and abdomen before helping him put the shirt back on.

"We should . . . keep moving," he said, weakily.

I limped to his side, my left arm now limp. "Yes, we should." I was about to pick him up when something very sharp dug into the flesh of my right arm. I swung it off and turned around to find a finch, a raven, an owl, and a vulture swooping in to attack me. Penguin's birds had come to collect.

I batted them off as best I could with my good arm. The vulture tried to attack Batman, but I managed to kick it off of him. Suddenly, the birds stopped in mid-swoop and flew away. "What . . . got into them?" asked Batman.

"I chased them off." Out of the shadows stepped David, soon followed by Jeanne and Nate. "I knew birds could hear supersonic sounds, so I used the device Batman gave me in case I found Penguin was trying to feed Mia to the birds alive."

Jeanne ran forward and hugged me. "Angelina, I'm so glad you're alive!"

I winced a little at the pain she was inflicting. "It's good to see you, too, Jeanne, but my real name is Mia." I stepped back so I could look at her face-to-face. "Please, don't be mad with me, but I didn't want to bring anyone into this mess."

"I'm not mad." She smiled. "Right now, I'm just happy you're safe." She moved out of the way so I could see Nate.

Nate walked up to me and he, too, embraced me. "Mia, thank God you're safe."

I smiled even though I felt myself growing weaker. I started to lose my balance, and I could hear Nate say, "Oh, my God! Mia, you're bleeding!" before I fell into unconsciousness.

I woke up dazed and confused. I rose to a sitting position and realized my arm was no longer in pain. Looking around at my surroundings informed me I was still in the sewers, safe from the villains above. "Where is everybody?"

Nate stepped out of the shadows. "They are scouting ahead with Batman. He healed pretty quickly after you wrapped him." He sat down next to me. "You've been unconscious for over a day, Mia."

I checked out my arm. As far as I could tell, the wound appeared as if it had never been harmed in the first place. "My arm, what happened . . . ?"

"I took the bullet out after you fainted," he replied, holding it up so I could see it. "After that, you healed up quicker than anything I've ever seen." He stood up and helped me to my feet. "Let's see if we can catch up with the others before dawn."

We walked swiftly down the tunnels until we came to Batman, David, and Jeanne, who had stopped to rest. Batman stood up. "I see you are doing well, Mia."

"So are you, I see." I walked over to him. "There haven't been any problems yet, have there?"

"Not that we know of," he told me. "I have a feeling Penguin might be in the sewers somewhere looking for you, so we'll have to keep moving until we reach Wayne Manor. There, Bruce Wayne and Alfred will keep you safe for the time being."

"For the time being?" asked Jeanne. "How long is that?"

"Until my nineteenth birthday," I told them gloomily. "On my nineteenth birthday, the villains can search wherever they want and, if it becomes necessary, they will kill me."

"Then let's make sure I beat them to the punch!"

I was taken by surprise as Penguin kicked me in the back and knocked me onto my hands and knees. I began to rise, but was then attacked by his birds while he fought off my friends. "Penguin . . . wait!" I tried to cry out. "I have that for which you asked!" Do not ask me why I started speaking like a Shakespearean actress, but that is what I did. "Penguin, call off your birds, please. I have the gift!"

Penguin called them off and I was left curled up into a small ball shivering in fright and pain. Tears stained my face and mingled with the blood from the cuts the birds caused. Penguin kicked my side and squawked, "Hand over the gift, Miss Leets, if you really have it."

Nervously, I dug into my pocket and pulled out the necklace, which was still wrapped up in wrapping paper, and shoved it into Penguin's deformed hands before I hurriedly stood and balanced myself against the wall as I watched him open it.

He carefully unwrapped the parcel and opened the locket, revealing the picture of Mona as the tune _Memory_ drifted through the air. He gently stroked the side of the locket as he silently closed it. He walked over to me and, although I flinched at his touch, he soothingly touched my face, as if remembering what it was like to feel his daughter's skin. "Mia, what have I done to you?" he whispered, his voice choked by tears.

Even though he caused me pain, I leaned forward and hugged my father as he cried. "It's okay. I forgive you . . . father."


	15. Time to Prepare

We continued through the sewers, trying to find a safe place to make camp. I was telling Penguin about what I had done since we separated. He was delighted to find I was going to college for visual arts. "Did you know your mother was going to college for visual arts before she came here?" he asked.

I shook my head. "She didn't tell me much about her life before Animatown."

"She wanted to be an artist when she graduated," Penguin told me, using his flame-thrower as a torch. "She was an amazing artist and painted some of the most beautiful pictures anyone had ever seen. If she had finished school, she could have become one of the greatest artists of all time."

"Why didn't she finish college?" I asked him, avoiding a small, coiled up snake.

He sighed. "The college told her she needed to be more original." When he saw my confused expression, Penguin added, "Your mother painted wonderful pictures, but they were all of different cartoon characters which had been created throughout the years. The college told her if she didn't even attempt to create something original, she would be kicked out of the college. She wouldn't create anything different because cartoons were her life. Therefore, she could no longer attend that college."

"What happened after that?" asked Jeanne.

Penguin glanced at her quizzically before he continued. "Mona was running low on cash, and she couldn't get herself a job anywhere. It wasn't long before she had lost her house and was on the streets begging for money. One day, she began to cry, wishing she had someone to comfort her."

"Then what happened?" David asked him.

"Mona accidentally willed open the Tear in Time and Space, the portal which leads from here to the human world and back. Although Mona was surprised and a little afraid of the portal, she stepped inside because it looked a lot safer than Earth. She was greeted by all of us cartoons and we gave her a house, clothes, and food. Once she understood the rules of Animatown, she got herself a job and met me."

"Was it a romantic meeting?" I asked him. I jumped over a giant grassy lump in the water. "Watch out for that," I told Jeanne as she drew closer to it.

"Not really," he replied, pointing a deep spot in the water. "We kinda . . . bumped into each other. Literally." When he received several puzzled looks, he added, "We were both working at the local newspaper. One day, she was walking and observing some of the workers at the same time while I was running to give the editor something and not paying any attention at the same time. She tripped over me, sending us both to the floor. We made eye contact and it was love at first sight."

"That's a weird way to meet your future wife," Nate commented to himself.

I suppressed a giggle as they came to a dry spot in the tunnels. I looked around a bit before I said, "I think we should camp here for the night, team."

The guys walked to one side of the tunnel and the girls to the other, giving each gender their right to privacy. I began digging through my sack and said, "Sugar!"

"Sugar?" asked Nate, coming to my side.

I chuckled, even through my frustration. "I don't like to curse, especially here in Animatown since cartoons aren't allowed to swear."

"They did in _Who Framed Roger Rabbit?," _Jeanne pointed out.

I looked over at her. "_Who Framed Roger Rabbit?_ wasn't an actual cartoon, so it doesn't count for anything in this dimension."

"Oh. So . . . why did you fake curse?"

I sighed. "If we're going to survive down here, we're going to need more supplies. We barely have enough to feed ourselves tonight. What are we going to do for the rest of the time we spend in the sewers?"

"We could sneak up top and get some supplies," said Batman from across the tunnel.

"The only way we would be able to do that is to steal," I told him.

"I prefer the term 'borrow' in this particular case," he replied calmly. "Bruce Wayne would be willing to pay for whatever we take if it meant a means of survival and hope for the good toons."

"Fine. I will grab some supplies at dusk." I paused and looked around at my comrades. "Who will come with me?"

Several seconds passed and no one uttered a word. I had begun to fear I would venture into Animatown alone when Batman stepped forward. "I will go with you, Mia. It's not safe for you to go by yourself."

As soon as dusk fell, Batman and I climbed up into Animatown, sticking to the shadows as we searched for a place to obtain supplies. We discovered an Outdoors Survival store which had been closed for the night and decided it would be our best bet.

"I'll climb up onto the roof of the building across the street," Batman whispered. "Here's a walkie-talkie so I can warn you of any danger headed your way."

"Alright. I'll wait until I see you on the roof of the building, then I'll enter the store." I waited silently in the shadows of the alley next to the store, watching Batman disappear through the door of the building across the street. Within ten minutes, Batman re-appeared on the roof, so I picked the lock and entered the store.

The first object I grabbed was a special bottomless cartoon bag, making it easy to carry more items with less hassle. Then, I started grabbing different foods, no matter what were they, and shoving them into the bag. Next came clothes, camping equipment, and different types of liquids which would not spoil quickly nor easily.

Suddenly, my walkie-talkie came to life. "Mia, you need to get out of there. Ammona Pine is headed your way, and she's heading for the front door."

"I'm on it." I ran over to the back door and tried to open it. "It's jammed!"

I heard the front door slam open and I was able to hide behind a tower of cans before Ammonia walked through the door. "Where are you? I saw you come in here, Mia Démone, now where are you?"

I crawled behind some shelves of boots as she moved closer to the back door. I knew my only way of escape was through the front door, but I had to figure out a way to distract Ammonia long enough to make a break for it. How could I do that?

_Ammonia Pine hated messes_, I recalled. I picked up a boot and threw it at the can tower, sending it crashing to the floor. As Ammonia ran over to the mess, I went into a dead sprint for the door, carrying the bag over my shoulder as I ran out into the cool night air. I did not stop running until I was standing next to the manhole out of which we had climbed.

In a few short minutes, Batman was at my side, breathing heavily. "I've never seen anyone run so fast for so long in my entire life. How did you do that?"

"Don't ask me, Batman," I told him as I started climbing into the sewers. "I just live here."

He laughed as he followed me down below. "I'll remember that, Mia."

We returned to the 'campsite' and I began pulling supplies out of the bag, handing the items to different individuals in our group.

"It feels like Christmas!" proclaimed Nate.

We all laughed, but the laughter died quickly as cold steel pressed against the back of my head as a voice said, "I tink its time you all headed back up above and into de prison. Don't ya agree, Mia?"


	16. A Time for Action!

I whirled around to find Steelbeak with the .9 mm pistol in his right hand. "Nice ting ya had goin' on, Mia, but ya failed ta fool me. Now, yous guys are gonna come wit me, cartoons an humans alike!" He lifted the pistol so it was at my chest level.

"Everybody make a single-file line behind me!" I stood right in front of Steelbeak and his gun as everybody shuffled into a straight single-file line behind me. ""If you want all of us, cartoon and human alike, then you must perform one action."

"Really?" He laughed his annoying 'clucking' laugh. "What's dat, Mia? Jump trough hoops? Breade fire? Spit water out my nose like a blowhole?" He laughed even harder.

"No, you don't have to do any of that," I replied calmly, looking him in the eyes. "Shoot me square between the eyes."

"What?!" everyone besides me shouted.

"Shoot me between the eyes, Uncle Steelbeak, and everyone will come with you to the prison. Otherwise, you can go back to the surface and leave us all alone. It's your choice."

Steelbeak looked from me, to the gun, then back to me. Shakily, Steelbeak raised the pistol and pressed it firmly into my forehead. I could feel him shaking through the vibration of the gun.

"Of course," I added casually, as if I was in no immediate danger. "If you do end up shooting me and taking the others as prisoners, then you will have several problems dealing with Animatown rule 56."

"What's Animatown rule 56?" I heard Nate ask behind me.

"No one is allowed to harm the child of a murdered victim until the child is nineteen," I could hear Penguin's whispered reply.

Steelbeak, whose hand had grown exceedingly shaky in the past few minutes, dropped the pistol completely. "You should've just come with me, Mia," he said angrily. "In just tree months, every single villain in Animatown will be searching de sewers and dey will kill you because dey won't have ta worry 'bout rule 56." The last phrase did not come out angry, but rather full of pity and worry.

"It would be better for us to hide in the sewers, where we have a fighting chance for survival, than to go up top with you, were we will be kept in prison until my nineteenth birthday when they will publically execute me."

"You'd be safe from being murdered."

"We wouldn't be free and we wouldn't have a chance to live. " I stepped a little closer to Steelbeak. "Don't you want me to have a chance to live, Uncle Steelbeak?"

We stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity before he replied, "Yes, I do want dat for you, Mia, and . . . I want ya ta do what you tink is right. I'll leave you guys down here, but I want ya ta remember I can't protect ya after October twenty-fift." He surprised everyone by embracing me in a hug. "I love ya, Mia. As a daughter . . . and as a friend." He pulled away and smiled before turning around and going back the way he came.

As I picked up Steelbeak's pistol, Penguin walked up beside me and said, "Whoa. I've never seen anyone change ol' Metal Mouth's mind just by talking to him. Usually, you have to point a gun to his head to get the point across. Either that or hand him a thick wad of dollar bills."

I put the pistol on safety and placed it in my bag before I paid him any mind. Then, I looked down at my father and jokingly said to him, "I just have talent, that's all."

As I turned to walk away, he grabbed my sleeve and said, "Thank you for protecting us, Mia. That was very brave and you could've been killed."

I smiled. "Your welcome."

I turned back to the group. "The event which just took place is only a small sample of what we will endure once three months have passed. I have until then to return you to Earth."

All the humans stared at me in awe. "You're taking us back to Earth?" asked Jeanne sadly.

"Yes," I replied. "It's much too dangerous for you to be here while I'm a wanted . . ." I could not think of a word that would actually made sense. A wanted good guy? Yeah, that would be an absolutely normalterm in today's society. "It's too dangerous for you to be here while I'm wanted. If any of the villains caught any of you, they could easily use you to bring me out of hiding. I don't want to let that happen."

"Mia." Penguin looked up at me. "They'll have more of a chance of being protected here in the sewers than back on Earth, especially right now."

"What do you mean?"

"F.O.W.L. has taken control of the Tear in Time and Space and monitors all activity. If there is any unauthorized activity, F.O.W.L. will investigate and bring back any characters who are on Earth. If you take all your friends back to Earth, F.O.W.L. will know and you will be forced out of hiding a lot faster than if you hadn't taken them back."

I sighed. "Alright. I'll allow all of you to stay in Animatown, but on one condition. All of you will have to train and you will have to train hard. Batman, Penguin, and I are all in pretty decent fighting condition, but we cannot save your butt all of the time. You will train until you collapse with exhaustion once a day every day. Since there are three of you, you will each train with one of the three of us and you will rotate trainers everyday. Penguin will teach you how to properly use the umbrella weapon and when it is most appropriate to use it. Batman will teach you hand-to-hand combat techniques. I will have you lift weights whenever you are with me. Do you have any questions?"

"When do we start?" Nate asked.

"We will start tomorrow," I told him. "We need to be ready for those bad guys as soon as possible. Who's with me?"

"We are!"


	17. A New Plan

The next two and a half months were spent in exhausting training, preparing for what the prophecies dubbed _The Ultimate War Between Good and Evil_. We all grew stronger, more practiced in martial arts and weaponry, and wiser. We knew, however, with my nineteenth birthday drawing nearer, we would have to relocate.

"I talked with Bruce Wayne and his butler, Alfred," Batman told us a week before the big day. "They can keep you there for as long as you need to come up with a plan."

"What do ya mean?" asked Penguin. "You're not coming?"

"No," Batman replied. "I'll lead you as far as the sewers lead, but I still have justice to dish out."

"Excellent," I said, helping Jeanne pack all our items into the bag. "We'll leave immediately so we can make it by nightfall."

It did not seem like a very long hike now that everyone was more fit, even if we had to stop for a lunch break and a dinner break. It was almost nightfall by the time we reached the doors of Wayne Manor. I knocked loudly and Alfred Pennyworth opened the doors. "Do come in. Master Bruce has been expecting you."

I entered the mansion first, followed closely by David, Jeanne, Nate, and Penguin. As Alfred shut the door, I heard Penguin whine, "How come of all the citizens in Animatown to house with, I'm stuck with the one I hate more than the Batman?!"

I whirled around in a fury I had not felt in years. "Listen, Penguin! Bruce is the reason David is free and he is the only one Batman and I can trust, so if you don't like the housing arrangements which have been made, then you can go back to the sewers. It's completely up to you!"

Penguin looked intimidated and a little embarrassed. "I can deal with it. It isn't _that_ bad."

Although Alfred was trying desperately to hide it, I noticed a small hint of fear and even . . . disgust. However, I remembered it was Penguin who had threatened his life several times and it was Penguin who carried himself around like a slob on the television series. There was also the fact the Pennyworth line had despised the Cobblepot line after the Cobblepots had treated the Pennyworths so terribly.

"I'll show you each to your individual rooms, then tomorrow I'll have breakfast ready at seven o' clock," Alfred informed us. "Right this way, sirs and madams."

We followed Alfred through the house. The first stop was the dining area, which was where we were going to have breakfast the following morning. We then followed Mr. Pennyworth through the East Wing where the men were each given there own room. "Here's your room, Mister Cobblepot."

Penguin studied the room for a few moments. "Not bad, Jeeves. A little too much decor, but still, not bad."

"Ahem." I cleared my throat, staring hard at Penguin.

He understood the message loud and clear. "Uh . . . thank you . . . " After I glared at him a moment longer, Penguin sighed and added, " . . . Alfred."

"Mister Aple, your room is across the hall," Alfred told David, pointing at the door. "Mister Dink, your room is right next to Mister Aple's room." As the gentlemen made their way to their rooms, Alfred turned and started fo the West Wing. "Please follow me, Miss Guin and Miss Démone."

Jeanne and I followed Alfred to the West Wing. While we were headed toward our rooms, I noticed quite a few valuable pieces of artwork Bruce had put on display. "I hope Penguin doesn't decided to have a five-finger discount in here," I muttered to Jeanne.

"In his case, wouldn't it be a three-finger discount?"" she replied jokingly.

I stifled my laughter as Alfred turned and said, "Here is your room, Miss Guin."

"Thank you, Alfred." Jeanne entered her room and gasped in awe. "It's absolutely gorgeous! Thank you, Alfred."

"Don't thank me," Alfred replied, smiling. "Thank Master Bruce." He led me to a room further down the hall. "Here's your room, Miss Démone. Master Bruce picked it out especially for you."

I entered the room and it was like I had turned back the clock. The room was exactly the way I remembered from my young childhood, before I knew anything about Animatown. It was the same as how my mother had designed my old room back on Earth. "Thank you, Alfred, and . . . thank Bruce for me, too."

"Very good, madam." Alfred left and as soon as I had changed into a nighgown I found in the wardrobe, I fell onto the bed and into a peacefull, deep, dreamless sleep.

I woke up the next day and looked at the alarm clcok, which read six-thirty a.m. Lazily, I sat up and for a second, I forgot where I was. I glanced around the room several times in fear before I recalled the previous day's events. I rose to my feet and chose a simple beige t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans out of the clothes in the wardrobe. I was ready and out the door by six-fifty.

I knocked on Jeanne's door. "I'm coming!" She opened the door and followed me down the hall. "Mia, I don't remember the way to the dining room."

"Don't worry, Jeanne. I remember." We walked to the top of the staircase, where all the men were gathered. "Let me guess, you don't remember the way to the dining room, either." When they shook their heads, I gestured for them to follow as I walked down the stairs and led them into the dining room at seven o' clock precisely.

"How did you remember how to get here?" asked David, amazed I had led them through the maze-like house.

"Have you ever been in here before?" asked Jeanne.

"No," I replied simply.

"Did they ever show the way in the Batman cartoons?" Nate asked.

"No."

"Then, how did you know?" asked Penguin.

"I think saw it . . . in a dream," I said seriously, sitting down in one of the chairs.

Penguin smiled. "It's part of the prophecy. The Chosen One is supposed to be able to know things about different places she's never been and people she's never seen."

Alfred, who had apparently heard us enter the room, came in to investigate. "Miss Démone, I'm glad you and your friends have arrived on time. Most guests are usually five minutes late or five minutes early, at least."

"I'm glad we have gained your approval," I replied, smiling warmly at the older gentleman.

"Please, sit everyone. Master Bruce will be here in a few moments."

The rest of our group sat near where I was sitting while we waited in complete silence for our host to arrive. While I expected everyone else to be on their best behavior, I kept a special eye on Penguin. I did not want him reacting badly to the presence of our host.

"Mia!" I stood as Bruce entered the room. His smile was wide as he gave me a friendly hug. "Batman told me about your adventures."

"How well did he tell about our adventures?" I asked him as we both sat down.

"He told me so well, I could guess who all your friends." He started with the person on my right. "You must be Mia's best friend, Jeanne Guin."

She nodded shyly. "Nice to meet you, Mister Wayne."

"The pleasure is all mine, Jeanne." He looked over to the man sitting next to her. "And this handsome young man must be your charming boyfriend, David Aple."

Jeanne smiled as David puffed out his chest pridefully. "Yep, that's me!"

He glanced over at the next person in line. "You must be Mia's old boyfriend and best friend, Nathan Dink."

"You can call me Nate, Bruce," Nate told him as he shook hands with his favorite cartoon.

Bruce looked over at the last guest, who was seated directly across from me, and plastered a welcoming grin on his face. "Of course, Mister Cobblepot, I haven't forgotten you."

Penguin appeared to be very embarrassed. No one knew what to say or do against this reaction to Penguin's presence in Bruce's home. After all, didn't Bruce have a right to be upset or nervous to have Penguin – the man who had once broken into Bruce's home and attempted to destroy everything in it which he wasn't going to steal – in his mansion?

Penguin cleared his throat and began to speak. "Mister Wayne, I have to first apologise for ransacking your home and harassing your butler years ago."

Penguin said this statement with such sincerity, he was surpising even me. "I believe I owe you more than a thanks for helping Batman save my daughter and her friends."

"Uh . . . " Bruce was as stunned as the rest of us. "Your welcome, Mister Cobblepot."

It was at this point Alfred chose to bring each of us a tray of fresh fruit. I was marveling at my dish of oranges, strawberries, apples, and raspberries of assorted colors when Alfred turned to Nate and said, "If it isn't too bold, Mister Dink, might I ask how you traveled from Earth to Animatown?"

I blinked, realizing for the first time how I had not thought of that. "Yes, Nate, how did you enter Animatown? Steelbeak didn't leave the Tear . . . er, portal, open."

"I found the portal and brought Jeanne with me," Nate replied simply.

"There's one slight problem with your story, Nate," Bruce told him. "You can't just find the Tear open, unless you or someone else opened it. Steelbeak and the Eggmen are the only ones able to access the Tear lately, but back when you arrived only Steelbeak and humans could access the Tear. Now, let's _assume_ you didn't open the Tear. Either Steelbeak was careless for five minutes or another human knows about Animatown."

"I promse you, Mia I didn't open the Tear." Nate looked at me and I knew he was telling the truth.

"It does not exactly matter right now who opened the Tear," Alfred interjected. "Right now, everyone needs to eat a healthy breakfast since you have been scavenging for food for the past few months."

I choked on a small piece of strawberry as a large realization hit me. "Today is October twenty-third!"

"Yeah, so?" Jeanne turned to me, totally oblivious to my anxiety.

"So . . . we have two days until the entire villian population begins searching for all of us with weapons up to wazoo! How exactly are we going to avoid them all?"

"We've been training," said David.

"Yeah, Mia, we've been training for this day," agreed Nate.

"We've been training in self-defense, guys," I reminded them. "Even if we manage to avoid their weapons, we are out-numbered one hundred - to - one. Unless we have some sort of miracle, we don't stand a chance."

Everyone was now staring at me. "Mia, how do you know the villains have these weapons you keep talking about?" Penguin asked.

"Follow me," I said. As we all walked over to a window, I told everyone, "When I was walking in here, I noticed _this_ through the window." I pointed to the town square, where it was plain to see a large stack of guns. Hundreds of villains were in line in order to add their contribution to the armory. "I'd estimate there are at least five hundred guns of different size and caliber. We have to obtain help from all the good toons before we, as well as the rest of Animatown, are reduced to a pile of rubble. However, we have no idea where to look for the missing good cartoons."

"I knowwhere they are." We all turned to look at Bruce. "The majority of the good toons live on the other sside of Animatown, just outside the gate."

"Okay," said David, staring out the window at the pile of deadly weapons with our names on it. "We could go through town by sewer and hope we don't run into any trouble along the way."

"That would be a four-day trip," Bruce replied sadly, closing the curtain. "We would never reach the other side in time."

We sat at the table and finished our meal in silence. The wheels in my mind were spinning, turning, trying to think of a safe way to travel to the other side of town.

"We could make it there if we were smaller," David mumbled under his breath.

"What did you say?" asked Jeanne.

David looked up at her from his plate. "I said, 'We could make it there if we were smaller'. It might take longer, but if they look for us, we would have cracks or crevices to hide in."

The entire group of humans - save myself - burst into laughter. The entire idea was absolutely hilarious and ridicilous. "That's the dumbest idea I've ever heard!" exclaimed Nate.

I thought about it for a moment and smirked. "It may not be as dumb as you think, Nate." I turned to Bruce. "Where do the magical folk live right now, Bruce?"

"Most of them live on the other side of the gate," he replied.

"What about Merlin?"

Bruce smiled. "Merlin? He lives here in the hills, just around the bend from here."

"Perfect!" I exclaimed with glee. "We're going to take David's idea one step further. We are going to become animals, since the villains are looking for humans."

"We'll blend right in with the surroundings!" Nate concluded.

"Exactly!" I smiled, glad to know I was going to keep my friends safe for a little while longer. "We'll be hiding in plain sight, and we can disguise our voices in case anyone becomes suspicious."

All my human friends stared at me open-mouthed. "Since when do animals talk, Mia?" asked Nate.

"If you had watched more cartoons as a child, you would know now," I replied. When everyone still stared, i asked, "Remember _Bambi_, _Looney Toons,_ or _Chicken Run_?"

"Oh," they all said in unison.

"Let's pack and head out." I started toward my room. "We need to leave as soon as possible."


	18. It's A Kind of Magic

A long and vigorous road was ahead of us in our journey to Merlin. As we began walking up the mountain side, lugging our knapsacks on our shoulders, I turned to the rest of the group and said, "Please be careful. Walk slowly and stay in the shadows. If the Decepticons are searching for us in the skies, less movement will be less of a chance of being spotted. Stay in the shadows just to be on the safe side."

We walked in silence from then on. It was not long before we ran into trouble. In this case, trouble's name was _Thundercracker. _He was standing right in the middle of the path, facing in the opposite direction from which we were coming. He was talking on his communicator link, probably to Megatron. "I haven't seen Mia all day long, but don't worry. Nothing can get past Thundercracker".

"We'll see about that," I muttered under my breath. "Everyone to the brush," I whispered, pointing to the shrubbery. I made sure everyone was safe before I started toward the bushes.

"Stop where you are!"

I remained motionless as Thundercracker pointed his weapon at me. "Thought you could sneak around old Thundercracker, huh? Well, you thought wrong, Mia!"

I slowly turned to face Thundercracker, cautiously motioning for everyone else to keep moving. The group moved slowly forward, hoping to be behind Thundercracker before he noticed them. I looked up into his gun, swallowing hard before I swallowed, "What are you going to do to me, Thundercracker?"

"I'm gonna hand you over to Megatron," he replied. "He'll make sure you're taken care of until tomorrow."

I had a small plan, but it would only work if Thundercracker was _really, really_stupid. "Thundercracker, if you take me to Megatron, I'll never see you again."

He peered down at me. "Huh?"

"I was growing so fond of you before all of this confusion and going into hiding," I said, forcing myself to cry. "Now you're going to send me away to die?" I covered my face with my hands to increase the affect.

"Wait!" Thundercracker knelt down. "They never said they were going to kill you. They said they were going to throw you in jail."

"That's even worse!" I sobbed. "Please, Thundercracker, don't let them throw me back into that prison! I'll never survive in there!" I started bawling into my hands, wayching the others to make sure they were safe. "I wasn't even able to tell Le Frog good-bye, and I never saw Merlin's hut and . . . "

"Now, hold on, Mia. I . . . " Thundercracker looked around to make sure no one was listening. "I'm gonna make you a deal. If you promise that if you get caught my name does not come up at all about this matter, I will let you, and your friends trying to sneak around me, to continue up the mountain."

I blinked, surprised at his willingness to help as well as his knowledge of my friends' presence. "I promise I never saw you on my way up the mountain."

He smiled. "Alright then, go on ahead, Mia." He stepped aside and moved his weapon so I could pass. "Be careful."

"Why are you doing this, Thundercracker?" I asked.

"Because I like you, Mia." He leaned down again and whispered, "Plus, good toons aren't the only ones who want to see Animatown restored to its former glory."

I smiled, glad to know we had a friend behind the enemy lines. "Thanks, Thundercracker."

He nodded solemnly. "Now get going before Starscream gets here for my report."

"Alright," I said, not exactly looking forward to a possiblity of running into the Decepticon who nearly killed me three times. I turned to the rest of the group and said, "Let's leave . . . NOW!" Needless-to-say, we hurried our way out of there. Once we were a safe distance away, we stopped under a willow tree and breaked for lunch. After an hour of a decent meal packed by Alfred, we were once again headed for Merlin's hut.

"I thought you said Merlin's hut was right around the bend, Bruce." I looked over at our guide. "We've been walking for hours, we haven't seen one hut, and my father is falling behind again." I glanced back at Penguin, who was breathing heavily and slowing down for the fifth time in half an hour.

Bruce laughed. "We're walking through the country-side. Most of the people out here live miles from their nearest neighbor, but don't worry." He had noticed my annoyed expression. "Merlin's hut is less than an hour away from here. If we hurry, we can cut that time in half."

I sighed and informed the rest of our group of our "speed up" plan, to which everyone - except Penguin - agreed was reasonable. I walked back to Penguin in order to help him keep moving. The group did speed up, too. We stopped once or twice when someone tripped or fell, and we all stopped whenever Penguin fell behind, but we would start walking again soon after. A little less than half an hour later, we arrived at a small, brown hut, which appeared to be made of branches, dead plants, and mud.

"This is Merlin's hut?" asked Jeanne.

"Yep." Bruce knocked on the wooden door.

Nate leaned closer to me and whispered, "It doesn't look like a wizard's hut."

I leaned closer to him and replied quietly, "Maybe that was the point."

"Hello?" A small man with a long, white bears and small glasses opened the door. "What do you young hooligans want? I am a very busy man!"

"We need a magic spell, Merlin," I told him, "so we can travel to the other side of Animatown without detection or any injuries."

"Why should I help a bunch of teenage humans and two cartoon men travel to the other side of Animatown?" he asked. "In any case, why do you need to travel over there? It is much safer here for young folks like yourself."

"We need the help of _all_the good cartoons of Animatown to defeat the Great One and all the bad cartoons helping him," I replied.

"I'm sorry," he said, "but I cannot help you. I'm afraid I'm just too busy. Anyway, only the Chosen One could rally those forces." He started closing the door.

"But that's just it!" David blocked his door from shutting. "We need to take the Chosen One over there!"

I glanced over at him worriedly as Merlin replied, "The Chosen One died five years ago. She was shot several times while protecting her father before falling through the Tear and dying. The light went out soon after she fell through."

"She didn't die," Jeanne said hurriedly before he could shut the door. "Well, actually, she did die, but came back to life again an hour later."

"Really?" Merlin stepped out, his interest obvious. "Where is she now?"

Nate gestured toward me as he replied, "Here, Merlin, is the Chosen One."

Merlin looked me over for a minute before he said to me, "You could not possibly be Mia Démone." He shut the door and we could hear it lock.

Angry, I shouted, "Merlin, I have the birthmark . . . and the Mark of the Tiger!"

The door was unlocked and Merlin stepped out again. "Show me the marks, child."

I pulled up my shirt sleeves, first showing off the birthmark, then the Mark of the Tiger. Merlin observed them carefully for a few moments before he smiled and said, "Quickly, all of you, come in."

We all followed Merlin inside the hut, which was much larger inside than it appeared on the outside. As Merlin locked the door behind us, we stared in awe at all the activity taking place in the hut. Dishes were washing themselves in one corner, brooms were sweeping by the North wall, and mops were . . . mopping right behind the brooms. It was absolutely magical.

Merlin took a seat and everyone followed suit. "So, what are you planning, Chosen One?"

I glanced over at my friends, who all nodded and prodded me to tell him. "Well . . . we thought we could go by sewer in disguise as animals - ones which were normal to find in the sewers - so we could hide . . ."

" . . . in plain sight!" Merlin finished my sentence excitedly. "How brilliant! It's an excellent plan . . . but how would you change back?"

I shrugged. "We had hoped you would have an answer to that question."

Merlin nodded in understanding. "Of course, of course. It's not like any of you have any magical powers . . . except you, of course, Chosen One." When I stared at him in confusion, he smiled. "Ah, so you have not read all of the prophecy you are to fulfill. You see," he said, rising to his feet. "According to the prophecy, when the time comes, your powers will reveal themselves. Apparently, they have not revealed themselves to you yet, or you would not need my help." He walked over to a small table. "Luckily, I do have something to help you with your quest."

We gathered around Merlin, and I had to surpress a giggle as a broom tried to sweep Merlin and he had to shoo it away. He held up one of six necklaces. "When you get in the sewers, put these on." Merlin handed the necklace to David. "Go ahead and open it, my boy."

David tried, but the clasp would not budge. Merlin smirked as David's repeated attempts failed. "The clasps on the necklaces are magic as well. Only the Chosen One can open it." He watched as David handed the necklace to me and I opened the clasp with ease. "This is a good way to make sure the necklaces do not fall in the wrong hands."

"Amazing," I said, closing the clasp.

"There are six in total; three with R's and three with F's. R medallions will turn you into a rat and F medallions will turn you into a frog. If there are any couples in this room, it is highly suggested you take the same medallions. It would be rather odd to see a rat kissing a frog, you understand."

David and Jeanne each immediately took an R medallion, as did Batman. Penguin, Nate, and I were stuck with the F medallions. We all looked to Merlin as he continued. "A word of caution, then you may venture out into the sewers of Animatown: while you may look and act like an animal, any kind of reflection you have as well as any photograph taken of you will reveal your true human self. Be extremely careful. Now, go, Chosen One. Go and pull Animatown out of the darkness the Great One has created."

We thanked Merlin for his great kindness before we entered the sewers of Animatown. We waited until everyone was inside before I began unclasping the necklaces and putting them around the others' necks. I watched as my friends changed from human to animal, their clothes shrinking and modifying to their new size. Finally, I put my own necklace around my neck and became a frog.

"This is so cool!" exclaimed Jeanne as she looked at her furry body. "Do we get to go by different names and nationalities, too?"

"If we want to live, yes, " I replied.

"Sweet!" She paused to think for a moment. "I want to be . . . Nivenia from India. I've always wished I was Indian!"

"I'll be Nomhad, also from India," said David.

We looked over at the others. Bruce spoke up first, saying, "I'll be Evelyn Oakie from London."

"I guess I'll be . . . Michael Ralies from Boston, Massachusetts," Penguin said.

Nat shrugged. "I'll be Ian MacCloud from Ireland."

When everyone looked at me, I proudly said, "I will be Isabelle Montie from Paris, France. In case anyone questions you about why you are in such a diverse group, we are . . . pen-pals, traveling together and visiting each other's homes."

"Who are we visiting now?" Bruce asked in a decent British accent.

"We will know that when we find out the native language," I replied as we began walking, using my very best Parisien accent. "For those of you who have not, I suggest you begin practicing your accents so it is very fluent when we arrive."

We continued walkng and talking like the foreigners we were supposed to be until we came to a port. I looked down into the water. "Good thing we can walk on these cement ledges. That water's deep enough we would drown."

"Hey!" Nate exclaimed. "We're not drawn animation, anymore. We're CGA."

We examined ourselves and realized we _were_ computer-generated animation now. "Well, at least we aren't flat anymore," commented David.

"You never were," replied Penguin.

"Look!" Batman was pointing at a large city not far from where we were standing. After several minutes of observing the scenery, I realized we were in the setting of _Flushed Away_. In other words, we were in 'French-frog territory'.

"Okay," I said slowly. "We are now in 'Evelyn Oakie's homeland. Keep close together and don't talk to anyone unless you overhear something which could prove helpful if investigated."

We moved through the large crowd, searching for a means of transportation. I turned to the group and said, "I need you all to stay together. Keep a sharp eye open and an open ear as well. I'll look to see if there are any captains who will accept as many passengers." I left them and headed for the docks.

As I glanced around, I noticed several of the boats were no longer in use and up for sale. Then I remembered reading that rats could not sail boats without a permit and, since most rats could not afford the permit, rats could not sail at all. It was a stupid law; apparently, it was put into place after a rat would not give up his boat to the Great One. _Well, when I defeat the Great One, his stupid laws will be the first ones to go!_

I came across one ship which appeared to have enough space for our entire group. I did not see any signs of a captain, so climbed aboard, hoping to find him or her below deck.

"What are you doing on the deck of this ship?"

I was so startled I nearly hopped right off the boat. I turned to find myself staring at a male rodent in a white, button-up shirt and black slacks. He seemed familiar, but I could not quite put my finger on it. "I am so sorry, _monsieur_, I was trying to find the captain of this vessel. I'm glad, though, that I have found him," I said in my most apologetic, French-accented voice.

"I'm the first mate, _hoppy_," he replied.

"_I'm_ the captain." A red-headed female rodent stepped out of the shadows. The green shirt and blue jeans she wore clued me in to the identity of the two rats

"You must be Rita and Roddy," I said, holding my hand out to shake. "My name is Isabelle Montie, and I was hoping you would be able to help my friends and I find our way through the sewers. We need to reach the other end of Animatown as soon as possible."

She shook my hand. "It's possible, but why do you want to go there?"

I hesitated, not wanting to reveal too much. "We are delivering the Chosen One there so she can fulfill her destiny," I whispered.

Rita and Roddy glanced at each other. "What makes you think this person you're 'delivering' is the real Mia Démone?" Roddy asked me.

I showed them the two marks. "I know, because I've been told that I am the Chosen One since I was six years old," I replied. I put my sleeves back into place. "So, can you help us?"

Rita spit in her hand and held it out. Following suit, I spit on my own hand and shook on it. I wiped the saliva off onto my flare jeans and said, "I just need to find my friends, and I'll be right back." I jumped off the boat and ran toward the area I had last seen them.

Suddenly, I ran into something very large and solid. I fell backwards and looked up to see none other than Toad's henchrat, Whitey. I stood up and tried to run, but he grabbed my arms and kept me from going anywhere. "Hey, Spike! I think I found her."

Spike, one of my least favorite characters in the movie, slinked closer. "She fits the description the boss gave us. Let's take her to him and see what he says."

Whitey picked my up effortlessly, apologized for his rudeness, then began carrying me over his shoulder. I knew it was useless to struggle against this behemoth, so I wasted no energy on him. As I was carried through the crowd, I noticed my friends trying to come and rescue me. I waved them off, shouting, "Just run for it. I'll be okay. Just run for the other side!" After a little more coaxing, I was able to convince them to run for it. After all, who knew if I was going to be able to survive the Toad's questioning.

Whitey carried me through a large set of doors - which immediately closed behind us - before he set me down. As he put a set of chains on my wrists and ankles, he told me, "Just cooperate and walk down this 'allway, miss."

I did exactly as I was told and entered an extravagent room. A giant bookcase was set against the entire wall opposite us, right next to a set of curtains. A high-backed chair sat in front of a giant fireplace.

"We got the girl just like you told us to, boss," Spike said, excitedly. "Did you want to speak with her now?"

"Yes." The reply seemed to be coming from the chair itself. "Just leave her here and shut the door." A fly landed on a table beside the chair and a tongue - not mine - lashed out and seized it in an instant.

Spike removed the chains and stepped just outside the door. "Good luck, girlie. You're gonna need it." He slammed the door shut.

"Come here, girl, so I can see you." It had been several moments since the door had slammed shut, so the sudden noise startled me.

I walked over until I was in front of the Toad the sewer animals feared. "You must be the Toad I've been hearing about," I said, trying not to let his size intimidate me.

"I am," he replied simply. "What is your name and what is your purpose here in the sewers?"

"My name is Isabelle Montie," I told him. "I was just looking for a captain to escort my group farther down the sewers."

His gazed off, then snapped up a fly that had been floating over the table. "How far down the sewer line were you and your friends headed, Isabelle?"

I swallowed slowly. "T-to the other side of Animatown, _monsieur_. I have important business to attend there."

That grabbed his attention. "You're that Mia Démone character, aren't you?"

"What?! No, I am not!"

"We'll see about that. Rodents!" Whitey and Spike burst through the door at Toad's holler. "Take her down below. If anyone tries to save her, she must be Mia Démone and both she and her rescuers must be disposed. If not, she knows too much and will be iced tomorrow morning. Take her away."

Whitey grabbed my arms and brought me to a cell where I was to stay. "I 'ad 'oped the boss wouldn't do this to you," he said as he put me inside. "You seem like a very nice lady."

"Thank you, Whitey," I said sarcastically as the cell door shut and locked behind me. I waited until he and Spike were unable to be heard before I curled up into a ball cried.

_Why did I have to be the Chosen One?_ I thought to myself, wiping away my tears. _I did not want to be great and powerful. I just wanted to be a normal human being._ For the first time in a long time, I cried myself to sleep.


	19. Unexpected Alliance

I woke to the sound of the prison door opening and I feared my time had come until a voice said, "Isabelle! It's me, Rita. Come on!"

Happy to be escaping from an ill fate, I jumped up and ran to the door. "I'm so glad to see you, Rita!" I whispered.

She used a paperclip to pick the lock on my handcuffs. "You've been here overnight, so no telling how far your friends got. Let's go before they lose their way or go too far."

As I followed her out of the Toad's headquarters, I thought of only one thing. "One more day." We made it out, jumped onto the Jammy Dodger II, and high-tailed it out of port.

"You know, we can stop calling you Isabelle Montie anytime," said Roddy. "We know your real name is . . . "

I hushed him before he could finish. "I cannot stop pretending until I get to my destination, however, you may call me Mia Démone when we are alone. I don't like to lie and pretend like this, but it's the only way to protect the good toons and fulfill the prophecy."

We continued our travels down the sewers and, while Rita steered, I told them all about my life so far and how I knew I was destined to save Animatown. Nightfall soon arrived and we had to stop long enough for Rita to sleep for a while. As I drifted of to sleep, I tried to relax, but it was difficult. The next day was my nineteenth birthday. I soon fell into a dreamless sleep.

I awoke the next morning to the sound of the ship's horn. "Time to get up sleepyheads!" Rita shouted from the wheel. "Roddy, please oil the engine, dear."

"Right away." Roddy stumbled down the ladder.

"Isabelle, can you check the rigging?"

"_Oui, mon capitan_." Sleepily, I immediately began tightening the rigging. I was on the starboard side when I found a rope which had come completely undone. I started to tie it when a green finger popped up and held the rope in place. Too tired to think straight and realize what had just happened, I finished tying the rope and mumbled, "Thank you."

"Your welcome." A green head popped up from below.

Startled, I yelped and backed away from the side of the boat. The creature hopped on, revealing itself to be a French frog. "Bonjour."

Immediately, more French frogs hopped aboard.

"Bonjour."

"Bonjour."

"Bonjour."

"Bonjour."

"Bonjour."

A little tap on my shoulder announced the presence of a seventh frog. "Bonjour."

I reacted in a logical way in which any individual would react. I freaked out. "Rita! Roddy! We have some uninvited French frogs on the deck!"

Rita turned to look and Roddy ran up the ladder and onto the deck. "Not again," they muttered.

The French frogs were drawing closer to me and looking me over. "Who invited you on board?" I managed to shout at them. "Get out of here! Go on, hop it! Can you not see you are not wanted on this ship? Hop it on out of here before I become angry."

"Ah, the French girlie." I turned and looked up to see another French frog - the only one with a moustache and the only one I did NOT want to see - sticking to the side of a smoke pipe. "She is so aggressive."

I managed to swallow as Rita stated simply, "Le Frog."

Le Frog stretched one leg down and then the rest of his body followed to stand next to me. He took my hand in both of his and said, "Aggressive, and yet so beautiful, like the flame that draws the fly to his certain doom."

I felt my face growing flushed as he said, "I like a woman with a little fire." Gently, he kissed my hand.

Slightly embarassed and definitely flustered by the flirtacious French Le Frog, I turned to Roddy and Rita. "Um . . . can I have a little help?

Rita was trying not to smile as she said, "What do you want, Le Frog?" Despite her amusement, she was obviously annoyed by the intrusion. "I want to take my passenger to her destination sometime tonight."

Le Frog stopped kissing - but did not let go of - my hand as he casually said, "I have been sent to pick up a couple things which have been stolen from my cousin, rodent. The first of these items would be the master cable you have stolen for the second time."

Rita shrugged. "I needed a belt and that circuit worked real well the last time." I rolled my eyes at her.

"Second, I am also here to retreive a Mademoiselle Isabelle Montie, who could actually be the chosen one - Mia Démone - in disguise." He looked up at me, a devilish smile on his face as he quickly kissed my hand again.

I pulled my hand away and tried to remain calm. "I don't know why you are looking at me like that, Monsieur Frog, but I am not who you think I am. My name is Clarisse Tibeaux, not . . . "

"Isabelle?" he offered.

"_Oui_, it is not Isabelle or that other name you mentioned . . . Mia," I lied, looking to Roddy and Rita for support.

"Before we continue this conversation, a word from our sponsor." Le Frog snapped his fingers and ordered, "Marcelle!"

Suddenly, A mim French frog came out from behind the rest of the frogs and started to pretend he was trapped in a box. I noticed a flip cellular phone attached to his front and grew curious.

The French national anthem started beeping on the phone and Marcel opened the phone, revealing the caller: Toad. "Well done, Le Frog. You have located Mia Démone and the master circuit. I salute you, sir."

Le Frog shrugged and snatched my hand again as Toad continued. "Okay, Rita, hand it over."

"Hand what over?" I looked over at Rita and saw she was not wearing her 'belt'.

Toad growled. "I don't have time for another one of your dances of deception, rodent. I want that master cable!"

I suppressed a giggle as Marcel acted out the 'dance of deception' of which Toad was speaking. He was a very good mime, and I enjoyed every moment of his performance.

"I don't have your stupid cable, you slimy, wart-faced airbag," Rita retorted.

"Henchfrogs! Search the boat," ordered Le Frog. "I'll watch the rodents . . . and la belle fille in question."

I watched in horror as the kung-fu frogs began tearing the ship apart. I turned to Rita and Roddy and whispered, "Capitan, what are we going to do?"

"We need a fly," Roddy quietly replied. "Do you see one?"

I glanced over at the doorway, where a fly was presently perched. "There is one right behind you, Roddy," I whispered. I had an urge to snap up the fly, but I restrained myself in order to ensure our escape. "How will we get at it without Le Frog noticing or becoming suspicious?"

"If one of us can distract Le Frog, I think we can get it," said Rita.

It took me a few seconds to realize they were pointedly staring at me. "Me? No way! I can't do that."

"He seems to be easily distracted by you," smiled Roddy. "Just use your feminine touch."

I glared at him, but I knew this could be the only hope for escape. I turned around, smoothed out any wrinkles I might have had in my tee-shirt and flare blue jeans, and walked – as best I could – over to Le Frog. He seemed to be admiring his reflection in the water when I asked, "What are you looking at, monsieur?"

Le Frog jumped at the sound of my voice. He regained his composure and said sweetly, "Cherie, I am trying to get my moustache to go straight, but no matter what I do or how hard I try, my moustache is always crooked."

"Here, let me help you." Carefully, I smoothed out and straightened his moustache. It startled me a little when I realized he was shivering at my touch. "There you go, mon ami. You now have a nice, neat, and straight moustache."

"Merci, ma chere." He smiled warmly. "Tell me, why does my cousin want you of all creatures in the sewers?"

"Well," I said, sitting cross-legged on the deck. "He thinks I am the Chosen One for some odd reason. As far as I know, he was suspicious because I was looking for a ship to take me to the other side of Animatown, which isn't enough reason to kidnap and plan to kill a person."

"That explains a lot, chere." Le Frog sighed heavily, sitting next to me. "You see, the English are suspicious of the French because they are afraid we French might attack them again."

"You mean like William the Conqueror?" I asked, remembering my French class with Mrs. Mocello.

"Oui, mon petit croissant de chocolat. If a Frenchman – or Frenchwoman – starts acting in a way that seems even a little suspicious, the English immediately suspect them to be spies or someone they should be afraid of."

"I feel so terrible. My family is gone, my livelihood has been flushed down the loo, and the Toad is going to have me iced based on a suspicion. J'ai mal á la téte. (I have a headache.)" I held my head in my hands.

Le Frog was silent for a few moments before he placed a hand on my shoulder. "I will not let my cousin kill you, chere."

I looked up at him. "Promise?"

"Je promets avec toute mon couer (I promise with all my heart)," he replied, wrapping his arms around me.

What I felt is hard to explain. I was both happy and sad at the same time. Comforted and empty. Accompanied and alone. All these feelings flowed through me at once, and almost reluctantly, I returned his embrace.

"We found the circuit!" shouted Bezu, climbing out from below and carrying the master cable.

Le Frog and I stood to face the kung-fu. I glanced at Roddy, who nodded as a sign his plan was ready for action.

I quietly mouthed, "Not yet," as Marcel, with Toad through the connection, returned. "Might I ask, monsieur, why do you want this master cable?"

"Since you won't be here to see it, I am going to use it to wash away any stranglers in the sewers. It will teach those large strangers not to mess around in my sewers!" said Toad.

"My friends are out there!" I exclaimed. "What about all the innocent creatures who live out away from the city?

"In order to bring peace, one must make sacrifices."

"No!" I leapt forward, only to have two kung-fu frogs shield Marcel and four more frogs hold me back.

"What are we to do with the rodents?" Le Frog asked.

Toad scoffed at us. "Dispose of all three of them. A martyr for those about to die!" He laughed maniacally until he choked.

"Settle down, cousin. Catch your breath," Le Frog told him. "We'll kill them, then bring you the master cable so my team and I can get a decent breakfast." He looked over to his group of henchfrogs. "Alright, team, to action."

All the frogs threw up their hands and exclaimed, "We surrender!"

I backed up before they could grab me again as Le Frog slapped himself in the face. "Not that one, you idiots! The kung-fu thing."

"Oh." Instantly, the team started going through what was obviously a routine. I turned to Roddy. "As soon as they pause, throw it up in the air and announce its presence. I'll control my tongue."

As soon as the frogs stopped in a pose, Roddy threw the poor fly into the air and shouted, "Fly at twelve o' clock."

They all looked up and, not able to resist a tasty fly, lashed out their tongues. Even Marcel tried and Toad tried to through the phone. Soon, all the frog tongues – excluding mine – were tangled. Rita climbed up, grabbed a root sticking through the bricks, and hooked it under the tongue-knot.

"I guess that is what the British call . . . tongue-tied," I laughed.

Suddenly, one of the frogs, unable to free himself from the knot, grabbed Rita and hit her head on the edge of the boat. She became unconscious and fell off the boat. I turned to Roddy and realized Le Frog had not been fooled. "Roddy, dive in and save Rita. I'll take care of Le Frog."

Le Frog attempted to block Roddy's path, but I shoved him out of the way. "Go save her, Roddy." Roddy saluted me before jumping into the water.

Le Frog pushed me off him and wagged a finger at me. "Oh, you should not have done that, my croissant de chocolat. And now, you will pay for it."

I jumped up to my feet and prepared to defend myself. "You want me, petit homme, come and get me."

He lunged forward. I jumped out of the way, but was caught off-guard when he grabbed my leg with his tongue. "You will have to do better than that, my belle fille."

"I am just warming up, mon cher." I kicked away and landed on him heavily. "Regarde. Vous ne pouvez jamais gagner contre moi. Je gagne!"

He knocked me off and jumped on top of me. "Not so fast, mon petit chou." He leaned in closer until our lips were barely touching. "You are a very beautiful amphibian, ma chere. Why don't we stop fighting, forget the rodents, and have breakfast together?"

"Get off me!" I pushed him away. "What do you think this is, a friendly chat? We are fighting amphibians, not a loving couple." I jumped over him and stuck to the side of the pipe.

"Very nice move, chere." He jumped up so he was a few inches above me. "However, you will never outdo Le Frog."

"You are an exceptional fighter, Le Frog." I backed up a little. "However, how well can you fight in the water?" I jumped off the smoke pipe and performed a perfect swan dive into the water.

I saw Roddy struggling to pull Rita to the surface. I grabbed them both and pulled them to the surface. A splash alerted me Le Frog had accepted my challenge. Quickly, I helped Roddy onto the boat, then held Rita up for Roddy to bring onto the deck. "I can't reach," said Roddy.

I turned to see Le Frog swimming fast toward me, and I held Rita up higher. "Roddy, hurry and help her up." Roddy grabbed her and began pulling her on the boat just as Le Frog pulled me under from behind.

Le Frog pulled me down, down to the bottom of the sewer. I struggled to get away, but his grip was strong. I kicked him in the side and his grip loosened just enough for me to slip free.

Before I could turn around, Le Frog punched me in the back. I whirled around and kept an eye on him. In the water, he would be less talk and more action, making him an even bigger threat.

He swam directly for me and, without a second thought, I dodged and kicked him in the back. He stopped instantly, as if surprised, then began to float to the bottom. Allowing my morality to take over, I swam after him to take him to the surface.

I was almost within reaching distance when he suddenly sprang to life and wrapped his tongue around my arms. Satisfied, he swam for the surface. We broke the surface and he said, "You fought hard, but it is Le Frog who has come out victorious!"

"Not quite."

I looked up to see Rita standing on the edge of the boat, holding up the master cable. "Forget something, Le Frog?"

"Give me that cable!" Le Frog jumped aboard the ship, dragging me with him.

"Drop her, Le Frog," ordered Rita. "Don't make me drop this into the water."

Le Frog seemed to think about it for a moment. "Okay." He dropped me onto my shoulder, and what I heard was not the boards cracking.

"Isabelle!" Although I was in pain, I signaled Rita to stay back. Furious, Rita said, "Alright, Le Frog, you asked for it. Hit it, Roddy!"

Roddy was standing by the wheel, his hand on a lever I had never seen either of them use before. In an instant, a giant mechanical hand reached out and grabbed Le Frog before he had a chance to react. "We did it!" exclaimed Roddy.

Rita came to my side. "Isabelle, are you alright?"

I rose shakily to my feet and tested out my arm. It hurt, as if only bruised, but it was fully operational. "I think I will be fine, What about you, mon ami?"

She rubbed her head. "A slight bump on the head, but that was it."

"You rodents!" We all turned to Le Frog as he shouted, "You will pay for this! The Great One will make you pay for your pursuit of peace and justice."

"The Great One?" I asked him. "Who is this Great One? What do you know about him?"

"The Great One is an evil force of Animatown," Roddy replied. "The Great One has been ruling over Animatown villains for over seven years."

"I thought Animatown was ruled by F.O.W.L.," I told them.

"F.O.W.L. controls Animatown, but the Great One controls everyone and everything." Rita sighed. "We good toons are lucky to survive through the night or day anymore. I mean, look at what happened today."

We all looked over at Le Frog. I walked over to him. "Le Frog, what do you know about this Great One?"

"I will only tell the Chosen One such information," he replied.

I revealed my birthmark to him. "Commencez parler, monsieur. Je suis la Choisi Une, Mia Démone."

"Oh, mon Dieu. Mia?" said a very surprised Le Frog. "Please forgive me, Mia. If I had known who you were, I never would have . . ."

"You are forgiven," I told him in my normal voice. "Now, what do you know about the Great One?"

"You sounded much sexier when you used the French accent," Le Frog told me.

"Please stay focused, Le Frog," I said, slightly blushing at his compliment. "Tell us everything you know about this Great One."

Le Frog cleared his throat. "The Great One arrived in Animatown eight years ago. He had great knowledge of the cartoon villains and provided them with weapons of great firepower."

"Them?" Roddy stepped forward. "What about you?"

Le Frog glared at him but continued. "I came into existence two years after he arrived, just as you did. I wanted nothing to do with the Great One or those who followed him. I would not follow anyone who was or sounded like an arrogant American."

I nodded understandingly as he continued, "Anyway, I never really considered myself a bad cartoon. I believed myself to be a good French frog who only fought the rodents with my team of henchfrogs because I was helping my family. Now, whenever the Great One speaks, I have to be there because I was an accomplice!" He was shouting by the end.

"Do you know what the Great One looks like?" I asked him.

"No one does, ma chere." His voice was softer and more gentle now. "All we see is a blurred hologram. His voice is very loud and gravelly, and he has grown more furious and at the same time he is thrilled lately."

"Lately?"

"Oui, mon petit chou. He is angry that Mia Démone has returned, but he is thrilled that Angelina Leets has come to Animatown."

"Why is he thrilled Angelina Leets is here?"

"He said something about revenge," Le Frog replied. "Why do you ask? Is she ton ami?"

"In a sense, she is my friend," I answered. "When I was eleven years old, I was adopted in order to protect me from whomever attacked me. While I was staying at the Leets family, we changed my name from Mia Angelina Démone to Angelina Mia Leets."

"But if all Animatown believed Mia Démone to be dead and Angelina Leets to be some human I was dating, then the Great One must be from Earth."

"If he is from Earth, then who could it be that would want revenge on you?' Rita interjected.

I started to think it through, but a small detail floated into my mind. "Zut a Lord! Today is October twenty-fifth! We have to find my friends before the villains start hunting them down with those weapons."

"Mia! Please, let me help you." Le Frog was staring straight at me.

"How could you help us?" asked Roddy.

"I want to prove I am a good cartoon," Le Frog told us. "If I take the cable to my cousin and tell him you were taken care of, he would not search for you. If you go look for tes amis, I can take the master cable to my cousin."

"What about washing away the sewers?" I asked him.

Le Frog laughed. "Toad says that sort of thing all the time, but he never means it."

"How can I be sure you will do as you've said?" I asked him.

"I would do anything to regain my honor . . . and to please you, ma chere." I stared deeply into his emerald eyes and I could tell he was telling the truth.

I nodded to Rita, who pressed the lever and released Le Frog. She handed me the master cable, which I held out to Le Frog. "You better keep your word, Le Frog."

Le Frog took the cable. "I stick to my word as long as you do me a favor."

I folded my arms across my chest. "What kind of favor?"

Le Frog moved quickly and the next thing I knew, I was in his arms. "If I can have a kiss from you, then my word will not be broken."

I swallowed hard. "You've been just itching to bribe me to kiss you, haven't you?"

He smiled. "Actually, I just wanted you to kiss me. Bribing you is just the fun part." He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to mine.

I was a bit surprised, but the kiss was so sensational I could not pull away or make a smart comment. I never expected a frog kiss to be so passionate and . . . not abnormal-feeling. It was enjoyable enough for me to return the kiss. The kiss continued for several moments before I broke it up. "No offense," I whispered to him. "I just have a whole dimension to save and a limited time to do so."

He backed off a little. "I understand, _ma chere_. Maybe I can snatch another kiss from you when this is all over." He saluted me before hopping off the boat.

I waved, glad to know we had another friend behind the enemy lines. This battle would become ugly soon, I realized. I am now nineteen and those villains will be out for blood. _My_ blood.


	20. Friend or Foe?

We traveled through the sewers for four hours before we came across any sign of my friends. "What's that on the landing?" asked Rita, steering the boat closer.

I hopped up onto the landing and knelt next to the piece of cloth. I picked it up to get a closer inspection. "It's a shred of David's shirt . . . " I glanced over to another object laying on the landing. " . . . and a bread crumb?" I picked it up and felt it in my hand. "It's a couple days old . . . to old to have fallen off a fresh loaf but too fresh to be inedible." I hopped back aboard the Jammy Dodger II as I continued. "From what I can see, the bread isn't common."

I broke a piece off, popped it into my mouth, and barely managed to choke it down. "It's . . . white-bread," I wheezed. "It's probably from a hotel room . . . " I coughed. " . . . with questionable room service." I pocketed the crumb as I turned to face my captain and first mate.

Rita and Roddy stared at me in awe as I continued. "Someone is following our friends and knows I am doing the same, leaving a clue to who is it, or at least where are their headquarters. Can we go any faster, Rita?"

"Yes," she replied slowly. " . . . but it's a bit dangerous."

"I don't care. I need to find my friends before they run into trouble."

"Then hold onto something, Mia." Rita pushed a red button. I felt the boat rise up and I grasped the edge of the starboard side. Suddenly, the ship sped forward and I had to hold on tighter to keep from being flung off.

Five minutes later, we came across horrible sight. Rita stopped the boat and I hopped onto the ledge. I barely felt the scrape on my hand when I fell before I ran to my friend's side. "David! Oh, my gosh, David, are you alright? What happened to you, David?" I was so afraid I started to cry.

David was laying on his back, his face bloody and his left arm at a peculiar angle. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked up at me. "Mia . . . I mean, Isabelle, is that you?" He had corrected himself when Rita and Roddy joined us on the ledge.

I smiled a little through the tears spilling from my eyes onto his shirt. "It's okay, David. We are among friends; you can call me Mia." I used both hands to check his arm. "What happened? Your arm's broken."

He sighed painfully as I set his arm back into place. "We were attacked," he replied quietly. "The others managed to escape, but the frogs grabbed me before I could escape. They did this to me and left me to die."

"Frogs? As in the French frogs?" I asked him.

When David nodded, I glanced over to Rita and Roddy. Had the other frogs untangled themselves and swam ahead . . . or had Le Frog gone back on his word?

I ripped a piece of cloth off my shirt. "Rita, can you dab this in some clean water?"

"No problem."

As Rita dampened the cloth, Roddy helped me carry David aboard, which was not as simple as it sounded.

"Ow! Mia, will you please stop bouncing my head? I'm getting a migraine!"

"I'm sorry, David, but I can't help it. It's the way I walk."

"Can't you change the way you walk, then?"

I laughed skeptically. "I can do that when frogs fall from the sky." We set David down on the deck.

Two seconds later, an object fell from what seemed like the sky. We all - except David and the object - jumped back in fright. I walked over cautiously to the object and flipped it over. I small gasp escaped my lips when I realized it was Le Frog. "Rita, get some bandages, quickly!"

"Does that count?" asked David.

I glanced over at him, half-amused. "No, it does not count. That was just a coincidence."

He smiled a little as I grabbed the cloth and gently tended to Le Frog's wounds. I checked his pulse. It seemed normal, which is hard to tell with a cartoon. I pulled him onto a sock, which we rolled him up in so he could stay warm. I then attended to David's injuries, taking extra care to clean up his face. It was then I noticed something peculiar. "David, you're healing exceedingly fast!"

David tried to look at himself in the water-bucket sitting next to him. "My face is almost healed!" He brought his hand to his face, realizing afterwards he had used his left arm. "My arm isn't broken!" He moved it around a bit to show it off. "How's this possible?"

"I don't know," I replied, watching him with astonishment.

"Uh," a voice groaned behind me. I turned my attention to Le Frog, who seemed to be badly hurt. I felt his head for any sign of temperature, then realized I had accidentally put my bloody hand on top of a fresh cut on his forehead. I washed the cloth and quickly dabbed it on Le Frog's forehead, washing off any of the blood.

I had Rita and Roddy take turns steering as I kept an eye on Le Frog. It puzzled me how he had been hurt so bad, or, just as important, why it had happened. I sat next to him, making sure he kept covered while he slept. His outer wounds had healed completely in the first few minutes just like David's. I had no idea what internal damages he may have suffered.

I suddenly realized I actually cared about Le Frog after all I did to resist him when I first met him. After all the times I was rude to him and said I would never fall in love with him, yet I cared enough for him to worry he might not live. I inspected Le Frog, looking mainly at his face.

He was, admittedly, handsome and I remembered how captivating his green eyes could be. My hand now bandaged, I touched a finger to his moustache, attempting to fix it. He moaned in his sleep and smiled a little, and I found the gesture amusing and . . . adorable. He reacted to my simplest touch . . . I wondered if . . . I gently pressed my lips against his for only a second. His instant reaction was to reply, "Mia . . . " before he rolled over.

It was an amazing concept for me. Le Frog truly loved me or, at least, wanted to be near me. In a loving manner, I gently stroked his cheek and, this time, he grabbed hold of my arm, sat up, and twisted it behind my back. "Don't move."

_There goes the amazing concept theory. _"Le Frog, it's me!" I cried out, both surprised and in pain from his steely grip and fast reflexes.

David speedily stood up. "Le Frog, it's just Mia. Calm down."

I could not see Le Frog, but I could feel his grip loosen immediately. I turned to face him as he shook his head, as if he were totally confused. "Mia, I . . . I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me." He swayed and I became worried that he would topple over any second.

I gently guided him to the floor. "Lay down, Le Frog. You're badly hurt, and I don't know if you've suffered any internal damage." He complied willingly and, as David brought me a new rag, I asked Le Frog, "What happened to you?"

Le Frog waited until I had placed the damp cloth on his forehead before he replied. "I'm not exactly sure, _ma chere_."

"Try to remember," I pressured him.

Le Frog closed his eyes. "I remember . . . leaving you and taking the cable back to Toad, telling him you and the rodents had been taken care of. He asked if I was positive, and I told him yes."

"Then what happened?" asked David.

"A large, booming voice said I was lying . . . that Mia was still alive. Suddenly, this large black cloud enveloped me, choking me until I could no longer breath. I passed out . . . and the next thing I knew, someone was touching my face."

I blushed slightly as everyone looked at me. Le Frog was smiling in a way which was frustrating, yet it was also captivating. _What is wrong with me?_ I thought to myself, rising to my feet and leaning against the edge of the boat. _Le Frog and his henchfrogs **killed** my foster father. I should be trying to kill Le Frog, not **flirting** with him!_

I stared out at the water, wondering what I was supposed to do. I was so confused, knowing how much I had hated the frogs who had killed Nathan Leets and now . . . I glanced over at Le Frog and decided not to finish that last thought. Nothing was happening between the two of us . . . no matter what he wanted to believe.

"Hey, Mia, aren't those your friends?" Rita pointed to a group of sewer animals ahead.

I leaned over the edge of the boat and saw a group including two rats and two frogs, an instant give-away to the identity of the group. "Hey, guys! It's me, Mia!" I waved to them.

"Mia!" Penguin shouted, running as best he could toward us. He hopped onto the boat and embraced me. The others soon followed, which led to a slight problem.

"It's Le Frog!" Jeanne exclaimed, preparing to attack.

"Stop!" I jumped in front of her before she could hurt him. "He's on our side . . . I hope." I glanced over my shoulder at Le Frog, who offered me . . . an adorable crooked smile. I shook my head and scolded myself for letting myself like him. I quickly explained everything which had happened since we separated.

"Mia," said Nate. "I would keep an eye on him anyway . . . he's been known to be a traitor." He gave me a quick nod before he ventured down below deck.

I walked over to Jeanne. "Has Nate been acting differently lately?"

"Sort of," she replied. "He keeps forgetting to play Ian McCloud from Ireland. We have to keep reminding him. Also, he seems to know quite a bit about this world and the Great One."

"This would explain how the villains were able to find us so quickly. I hate to admit it, but I think Nate is the Great One."

Jeanne was silent for a moment. "What are we going to do?" she asked quietly.

"We'll have to tell the rest of our group," I replied in a whisper. "For now, we'll be keeping an eye on him. If we expose him, he may attack and we cannot a allow anyone to be injured. Tell the others while I take Le Frog below deck."

As she casually walked up to each individual person to tell them the news, I stepped over and helped Le Frog to his feet. "Can you walk, Le Frog?"

"I need a little help, but other than that, I can walk."

I lifted his arm and placed it over my shoulder. "I'll help you." I gently walked him down the steps and below deck. I found a couple of blankets, so I laid one on the floor and, once he was laying on top of the blanket, I covered him up with the second one.

"_Chere!_" Le Frog whispered feverishly as I started to walk away. I turned and saw the look of fear in his eyes as he whispered, "Don't leave me alone down here with _him_."

I glanced over and noticed Nathan was checking the engine. I hated Le Frog, but I could not bring myself to leave him alone with the one person who could kill him. "Okay, Le Frog. I'll stay for a while." I apparently said it loud enough for Nate to hear me, because he turned and looked at us before returning to his work.

I turned back to Le Frog and whispered, "Why don't you want to be left with him? Do you know something?"

Le Frog nodded, and I saw for the first time fear in his eyes as he quietly replied, "When I looked into his eyes, I saw the darkness of the Great One in him. Also, he told you I have been known to be a traitor. The only ones who would consider me as a traitor would be those who worked for the Great One. He is pure evil, even if he is not the Great One himself."

I sat down next to Le Frog and kept an eye on Nate. "You should get some sleep, Le Frog. We'll need all the help you can give when we find the Great One's headquarters." I kept my voice low so Nathan could not hear me.

"Can you do me a favor, _chere_?"

I looked over at him. "What is it, Le Frog?"

He glanced over at me, his face completely serious. "Can you hold my hand while I'm asleep?" When I gave him a look of confusion, he added, "That way, I know you are still there and I'm safe."

I fought with my conscious for a while in silence before I said, "Okay." I took his hand in mine and, as he started drifting off into a silent slumber, I knew I could never stay mad at him forever. "Le Frog?"

"Hm?"

I paused. "Remember when you first came to collect me . . . when I told you and your team I would kill you if I had the chance?"

He rolled over so he could see me better. "Yes . . . why?"

I hesitated again. "I . . . I want to apologize for what said . . . because I know it was an accident. Bezu didn't mean to kill Nathan Leets; it was just a reflex and it didn't work the way in which it was meant. I can't kill him for what he did when it was an accident and I can't kill you because . . . " I was not sure I could finish.

Le Frog leaned a little closer. "Why can't you kill me, _chere_? I was completely rude and mean to you when you first came to Animatown and probably deserve any pain you give me."

"I can't kill you because . . . " I looked up into his green eyes and everything I wanted to tell him spilled out all at once. " . . . I have feelings for you, Le Frog. Ever since you first touched me when you came to collect me, an emotion I've never experienced stirred in my soul. I was so blinded by my anger at Nathan's death . . . I didn't realize what I felt was not another spir of anger, it was . . . I don't know." I held my free hand against my forehead. "I'm so confused right now because of what I must accomplish, and I don't want to have anyone involved if they were to be used against me, but I like you, and . . . "

Le Frog pressed a finger to my lips. "_Chere_, you don't need to say anymore. I love you very much . . . I knew I was falling in love with you when I first saw you and meant it when I said it was a shame you would rather die than be with Steelbeak. I knew I couldn't kill you when I almost attacked you before Nathan came in the room." He gently used a finger to lift my chin so we were face-to-face. "You can love me now, Mia. Don't worry that the Great One might use me against you, because he won't. He wants you brought to him dead or alive rather than attack you himself. It's too dangerous for him to leave his hideout."

I started to argue, but he hushed me. "I'm not in danger from the Great One anymore, Mia. I am safe and, as soon as I am able, I will protect you until the very end."

I smiled, planting a small kiss on his lips. "Thank you, Le Frog." I hesitated a little before I added, "I love you."

He smirked before laying back down. _"Je t'aime,_ _chere._" He squeezed my hand a bit. "I love you, too."


	21. The Game

The next morning we awoke to the sound of Rita's shouting. "Wake up! We're under attack!"

I jumped up, only to realize I had been hand-cuffed to the bed post just Le Frog had been. "Some one help us!" I shouted, pulling on the cuffs.

"No one can help you, Chosen One." Nate appeared out of the shadows. "You and the traitor will die for what you've done against me." He left us to ourselves as he walked up the ladder to the main deck.

Le Frog continued pulling on the hand-cuffs as I slumped down against the bed. "This wasn't the way I planned to die. I wanted to die happy, or at least like a warrior in battle. I don't want to die as a prisoner."

"I don't want to die that way either, Mia," said Le Frog, reaching into a pocket with his tongue. "This is good, since I won't allow either of us to die a prisoner." He pulled a lock pick out of his belt pocket and began working on the hand-cuffs.

I could hear all sorts of banging around and scuffling up above. "Please hurry, mon cher."

He glanced in my direction for a moment, then back to his work. "I'm trying, ma chere, believe me." He was diligent with the lock-picking, and in a few minutes, we were both free.

Since Le Frog was still injured from the day before, I ran up to the main deck, only to find Rita and the others backed up against the edge of the boat staring fearfully at something behind me. I turned to find Nate, as well as Le Frog's seven henchfrogs, standing maliciously near the steering wheel.

"Bonjour, Mia Démone," said one frog menacingly.

"Bonjour," I said in jest. "Ça va?"

"Enough fooling around, Mia." Another frog stepped boldly forward. "The Great One sent us to make sure you were immediately and permanently terminated."

"Why doesn't he say so, unless that is not him right there?" I asked.

The frog looked at Nate. "This guy? He's not the Great One. This man is simply a puppet, controlled by the Great One to keep an eye on you until we arrived. He's no longer of use to us." He nodded and three frogs grabbed Nate and threw him overboard. The others rushed at the frogs as I jumped in the water after Nate.

It took only a few seconds for me to grab him, but I knew I had been followed by at least three frogs. I brought Nate to the surface and left him on a cement landing while I dove back in to fight the frogs.

I swam to the left and up in hopes of catching a breath. I may have looked like a frog, but I did not have lungs like one. I broke the surface and managed to land on another cement landing, the frogs following close behind.

I tried to move to the left, but I was blocked by a frog who had hopped in the way. I tried moving to the right, but the same thing happened with the second frog. The third was standing in front of me, so I was blocked in with the wall behind me. They all pounced and, when I ducked, they all clonked heads and fell to the ground unconscious.

Laughing at them for falling for the oldest trick in the book, I bounced back onto the deck, where I found my friends surrounded by fiends. With my friends' help, I managed to send the three remaining frogs hurling into the water. I hopped over to where I had left Nate, only to find him gone. I searched everywhere, even under water in the event he might have fallen in, but to no avail. Nate Dink was nowhere to be found.

"Where is he?" I asked worriedly as I hopped back onto the boat.

I received an answer in an unexpected way. I heard a strange thundering sound and, when I looked up, I discovered a grey cloud looming over us. "How is it possible for a cloud to be in the sewers?" I asked aloud.

"When the Great One becomes a cloud, Chosen One," the cloud boomed at me. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you face-to-face, Mia Démone."

"The pleasure is all yours, Great One," I replied through gritted teeth.

"Another pleasure I have is discovering that Angelina Leets and Mia Démone are the same person. This way I can kill without as much bloodshed. It's very dirty work, you know."

"No, I wouldn't know what it's like to kill someone."

The Great One laughed. "Oh, that's right. The girl who serves justice without violence. Le Frog and his henchfrogs attacked you in your home in an attempt to collect you for your uncle, Steelbeak, but you told them you would rather die than live with him again. Before Le Frog could grant you your wish to die, Nathan Leets walked in and ruined it. One of Le Frog's henchfrogs killed your foster father because he was following Le Frog's orders . . . yet you just admitted your feelings for the mercenary!" The Great One yelled at me. "What kind of justice are you bringing to Nathan Leets by falling in love with his killer? You are becoming just as guilty as Le Frog and Bezu, the frog who killed Nathan."

I blinked away the tears in my eyes, my fury for the Great One growing stringer with ever word he said. "Where is Nate Dink?"

"Nate Dink?" The Great One laughed. "Oh, you mean my little marionette! He is in my headquarters, waiting for you to win the game."

"Game?" asked Jeanne. "What game?"

The cloud hovered closer until it was directly in Jeanne's face as it growled, "I wasn't talking to you, germ. I speak only to the Chosen One about my game as well as its terms and rules."

"What kind of rules, Great One?" I asked him, making sure not to raise his anger level.

He hovered close to me. "The rules for my game are very simple, Mia Démone. You will play my little game and, if you win, Nate is returned to you unharmed, you restore peace and harmony to Animatown, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah."

"What would happen should I lose?"

I could almost see a grin form in the cloud as he said, "You and your friends will be publicly executed, and Animatown will be in my complete control."

I thought about any other possible options. "What if I choose not to play your game?"

"You might as well be forfeiting the game, which counts as a loss and the same results for losing the game will occur."

I looked around at al my friends, then back at the Great One. "Fine; I will play your game. What are your rules?"

"There are only two rules; one is no weapons of any sort and two is no help from your human friends!" He glanced around at each one individually as if one might have suggested the converse of his statement. "The object of the game is to find Nate and help him escape alive before the sun sets. You must find my headquarters and, once you have discovered the labyrinth, make it to the center, where Nate is waiting for you. Once you arrive, I will ask you three simple questions. If answer all three correctly, you and Nate will be free and you will win the game."

"Where are your headquarters?" I asked.

The Great One laughed maniacally. "I practically left a trail of bread crumbs for you to follow. If you can't find my headquarters by sunset, Animatown will be doomed." In a second with a small flash of light, the Great One had disappeared.


	22. Let the Game Begin

I sighed, knowing just how difficult this mission would become. "I'm going topside to search for the Great One's hideout. I need you all to continue on your trek to the edge of Animatown."

"We can't let you do this by yourself," argued Jeanne. "All the villains are up there looking for you; you don't stand a chance up there without back-up."

"You have to continue to Animatown's edge," I told her. "We need the good toons' help if we're ever going to win against the Great One. Besides, you heard his rules. I can't have any help from any of you; it's rule number two. Continue through the sewers until you reach the good cartoons' campgrounds. If they don't listen to you, have them wait ten hours for my arrival. If I don't show up by then . . . you know what to expect."

David came up and gave me a hug. "Mia, I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too." I felt the tears running down my face. "I'll miss you all. However, the Great One must be stopped, no matter the cost." I hopped off the boat and onto the cement landing.

"No!" I looked back to see my friends holding Penguin back as he tried to follow me. "There has to be another way. I can't lose you again!"

I felt truly sorry for Penguin. He had just been reunited with a daughter he believed to be dead, and now he had to let her go, not knowing if he would ever see her again. I looked down at the locket I was presently wearing, took it off, and threw it up to him. "Hold onto that until I return to you, Dad. Rita, hit the button."

Rita saluted me, and then hit the red button. I watched the ship as it flew like a bullet, speeding away down the sewers.

I had little time to watch after them, though. I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I turned to discover all seven henchfrogs were up and ready for action. "_Oh, mon Dieur._"

The frogs all jumped me at once and I could not avoid them all. I blocked one frog's attack at my kidneys, but failed to prevent a punch into the spine. I was slapped in the face, kicked in the back, and punched in the gut several times each before being slammed into the wall.

They blocked me in and I prepared to defend myself as best I could against their next attack when a voice yelled, "Stop!"

I stopped shielding my face to see who had spoken in order to save my life. The frogs were looking at each other in confusion. None of them had spoken. They came at me and I shielded my face again.

"Henchfrogs!" shouted the voice. "Do not touch one hair on that girl's head."

I let my arms fall to my side and I looked up as I realized who was speaking and where he was when he spoke. "Le Frog!"

"_Oui, mon petit chou _(_Yes, my little cabbage_)." Le Frog was sticking to the wall just above our heads. "_C'est moi _(_It is me_)."

Overwhelmed with both relief and excruciating pain, I would have fallen over and onto my face had one of his henchfrogs not caught me.

"Mia, are you alright?" Le Frog helped the other frog hold me steady.

"I'll be fine in a moment," I reassured him. "I'll heal. I just need to sit down." They lowered me so I could sit Indian-style on the landing. "Thank you for your help, _Monsieur_ . . ."

Looking a little surprised, the henchfrog said, "My name is Franz, _Choisi Une_."

"Thank you, Franz." I blinked. "Le Frog, I just realized I don't know any of your henchfrogs' names, save Franz and Bezu."

"How could I be so rude?" asked Le Frog, totally abashed by his discourtesy. "Their names, besides Franz and Bezu, are Thibault, Léon, Phillipe, Ponton, and Vincent." He pointed to each one as he said their name.

I said _bonjour_to each one before I glanced over at Le Frog. "You heard what I have to do in order to save Animatown, _oui_?"

When he shook his head no, I quickly explained the 'game' and its rules. Le Frog listened carefully and, when I had finished, he said, "I have some equipment which could help you find the Great One."

"Le Frog, he said no help from friends," I told him.

He shook a finger at me. "_Non, ma chere_. He said no help from _human_ friends. My team and I are not human, so you can have all the help you want from us." He hushed me before I could argue any farther. "I will be back with some equipment . . . and a better outfit."

I looked down at my shirt and jeans. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"Nothing's wrong with them, _chere_. In my opinion, they make you very sexy." He smiled as I blushed in response. "However, I don't think that's what you want the Great One to think you're going for when you are entering his headquarters. I'll be back with some equipment and an outfit."

He hopped away before I could protest, leaving me alone with his henchfrogs, who had formed a circle with me included as they sat down. "Well," I said as casually as I could. "Since we have some time to kill, I'm going to do something which will help me remember your names. We'll start with the frog to my left. Just say your name and . . . what you did before you joined Le Frog." I nodded to the frog next to me to go ahead.

He cleared his throat before he began. "My name is Bezu, and I was a police officer in France before Le Frog found me."

The next frog spoke up immediately. "I am Count Thibault of Malfete, but you may simply call me Thibault. I was the heir to the French throne, but I did not want to order others around, so I accepted Le Frog's invitation."

I nodded and turned to the next one. "What about you?"

"Phillipe," he said simply. "I worked for the DCPJ."

"_La Districte Centrale de la Police Judiciaire_? Nice." I smiled approvingly as Phillipe nodded in agreement.

"I'm Franz." The next one fingered a knife as he spoke. "I was a thug for hire."

I swallowed hard. "It must have been an interesting job."

He smiled a little as the next frog spoke. "I'm Vincent, and I was hired help, usually as the 'French tour guide'."

"My name is Ponton, _Choisi Une._"

I looked at the frog sitting next to Vincent. "It is a nice name, Ponton, and please call me Mia."

He nodded. "I used to be a detective. I worked as a partner to a man named Jacques before Le Frog found me."

I turned to the last French frog, whom sat between me and Ponton. "Who might you be, _monsieur_?"

He was silent for a moment. "Léon, _mademoiselle_."

"Cute name," I replied seriously. "What were you before you met Le Frog?"

He hesitated again before he said, "I . . . I was a cleaner."

"You were a hitman?" When he nodded, I answered, "Cool."

He looked at me in surprise and I managed to smile before Le Frog appeared out of nowhere, carrying a suit similar to the ones he and his team were wearing. "Here you go, _ma chere_."

I took the black outfit and dove into the water in order to change with some privacy. I came back up onto the cement pad and was recepted with wolf howls and whistles. I glanced at my reflection in the water, in which I appeared human. The suit was very snug and, while it did make me appear thinner, it showed off more than with which I was comfortable.

I turned to Le Frog and I felt my face growing hot with embarrassment. "Did you realize I may not want to look like a model-wanna-be when I made an attempt to save Nathan Dink?"

Le Frog laughed. "Did you realize you are now speaking with a French accent?"

I glared at him for finding amusement in my anger. "Yes, I realize this. I speak with a French accent every time I become angry."

He smiled. "Perhaps we should make you angry more often. I like the way your voice sounds with that accent. Plus, you sound very, very French when you speak like that, _ma chere_."

My mood cooled down to a little more than a simmer. "You really think I sound French?"

Le Frog nodded. "Also, you don't look like a model-want-to-be. You look every bit like a model should look."

His comment made me blush. This was why I was caught totally off-guard with his next statement. "You might want to check your pants pockets to make sure everything you want is with you."

Startled by his quick change of subject, I checked my pockets. I found my cellular phone which, surprisingly still worked, and the breadcrumb I had found the day before.

"What is that?" asked Thibault, pointing at the soggy crumb..

"It's a breadcrumb I found by David's torn shirt when I was looking for my friends." I paused, and then exclaimed my realization. "That is what the Great One meant!"

"_Excusé moi_?" asked Le Frog.

I held out the breadcrumb as I said, "The Great One said he had left me a trail of breadcrumbs. If my assumptions are correct, then this is the breadcrumb he left for us, since there must be only one place in town which offers food that terrible."

"It can't possibly be _that_bad." Ponton broke a piece of the crumb off and popped it into his mouth. Two seconds later, Ponton began to choke on the morsel. "Alright," he wheezed, beating on his chest in hopes to dislodge the crumb. "It _is_ that bad, and I know only one place where the bread they serve to their guests is this lousy . . . the Baghdad Café."

"I have been in the Baghdad Café, but there was no sign of the Great One there," I told them.

"Evil can hide in plain sight," Phillipe argued. "Maybe the Great One lives above the restaurant. If we go up top and check it out before you go inside, I'll be able to tell whether or not you are correct."

"Perfect!" I exclaimed, glad to be getting somewhere with this 'game'. "Let's go."

"Wait!" Le Frog stopped us before we hopped anywhere. "We'll need these." He held up a small object which appeared to fit in one's ear. "It is a device we call _Le Silence_. It is a specially-made two-way radio transmitter. The radio waves are impossible to detect; if anyone is watching, it cannot be seen; and if anyone is within hearing distance, you can adjust the volume so only you can hear the transmission."He handed one to each of us before placing his own in his ear.

"Amazing," I managed to say.

He smiled. "If you liked _Le Silence_, then you'll love the _Spy-Glasses_." He held up what appeared to be a normal pair of sunglasses. "These are a special camera. While Phillipe will be looking in the windows, the camera feed on his left lens will appear on your right lens. It works the same way if you are sending camera feed to him. If it should become necessary for some odd reason, it is also possible to send camera feed from your right lens to his right lens, and vice versa."

"This is incredible!" I said, putting on a pair as Le Frog handed a pair to Phillipe.

Le Frog pulled out a small monitor. "Just to be on the safe side, the rest of us will be watching the monitor. We will see everything you see and help with anything which might prove difficult for you." He put the monitor away. "So, _ma chere_, are you ready to fight this together . . . as a team?"

"No." When Le Frog looked at me completely puzzled, I said, "We'll be together in this fight . . . as a family."

Le Frog smiled before shouting, "As a family!"

The rest of the team echoed, "As a family!"

We crawled up to a manhole and, after I made sure the coast was clear, we hopped out and hid in the shadows. Villains were gathering in the village square, so it would be easy for Phillipe to check out the Baghdad Café.

"Alright, I'm heading over." Phillipe made a quick bow before he hopped over to the building.

"As soon as you reach the building, turn on the _Spy-Glasses _so Mia can watch," Le Frog told him through _Le Silence_.

I turned on my glasses as I waited for Phillipe to do the same. "I'm ready when you are, _mon ami_."

"I'm turning the camera on . . . now!" Instantly, I could see what he saw through the right lens. "Do you see the Café?"

"_Oui_," I replied. "I can see everything clearly."

He began climbing the side of the building. To me, it was like a virtual reality ride. I knew it was camera feed, but it seemed like it was me climbing the wall.

"There he is!" whispered Phillipe.

Very clearly, I could see the enormous grey cloud having a conversation with a figure hidden in the shadows. "I wish I could hear what they are saying."

I watched as Phillipe put on a black glove and touched the glass. Instantly, I could hear everything said on the other side.

"When Mia enters the labyrinth, I want you to distract her by whatever means necessary," the Great One was saying.

"Yes, sir." I could not recognize the second voice.

"We need to find out what Mia can and cannot do before I under-estimate her again. She has grown stronger since her return to Animatown, and not just physically, either. Her powers have strong enough for me to sense. She has already turned the French frogs from bad to good; who knows who she will turn good next!"

"Don't worry, Great One," said the mysterious figure. "I will distract her with my most powerful attacks."

"See that you do." The Great One sent the figure away to the labyrinth.

"Come one back, Phillipe. I've seen and heard enough." I turned off the _Spy-Glasses_ and looked up at Le Frog. "Who came up with the gloves?"

"Actually," sighed Le Frog. "We cannot accept full credit. Batman let us replicate his design for our own personal use."

I arched an eyebrow but said nothing as Phillipe returned from his reconnaissance. I turned the glasses back on as I prepared to leave. "Alright, _mon ami_, this is it. Let's see how well the Great One and his cohorts can stand up against me again."

All the frogs were now staring at me, knowing I may not return from this battle. Phillipe was the first to speak. "_Bon courage, chere. _I will do my best to help you through the maze, but there are no guarantees." He hugged me and, following French tradition, kissed me once on each cheek. The rest of the team pretty much lined up and followed Phillipe's gesture in this order; Bezu, Franz, Vincent, Léon, Thibault, and Ponton.

I turned to Le Frog, who was attempting to appear distracted by something on the distant horizon. "What is wrong, _mon cher_? I asked him.

"I . . .I don't want to watch the camera feed, Mia." He looked up at me and I could see the concern in his eyes. "I'm afraid . . . I'll see you hurt and . . . and I won't be able to live with myself if you . . . if you . . ." He could not bring himself to end the sentence, but I grasped the meaning.

I pulled Le Frog close and we shared an embrace in order to comfort each other. "Le Frog, don't worry about me. You all will be watching what I do in the labyrinth and helping me through anything I find difficult, so I am in good hands. You will all protect me. I know I won't be injured as long as you're here to guide me." I pulled him closer as I wished I believed what I was saying.

"_Je t'aime, ma chere_," he whispered into my hair.

"_Je t'aime, aussi, mon grenouille français_ (_I love you, too, my French frog_)." I smiled before I planted a small kiss on his lips. "I will return to you, _mon cher_." As I turned and walked toward the Baghdad Café, I finished what I was saying in my head. "_. . . I hope_."


	23. Unexpected Foe

As I entered the building, Phillipe's voice came on _Le Silence. _"The room the Great One was in is five floors up. You need to enter the main dining area and find a flight of stairs."

"Go into the dining area and find a staircase, got it." I walked into the main dining area. "Phillipe, there's a slight problem; no stairs."

There was a slight pause before Léon's voice came on the transmitter. "If the Great One usually takes the cloud form, then maybe there's just an opening near the ceiling for him to enter."

"Excellent thinking, Léon." I searched the walls and soon found a small doorway near the ceiling. "I found it!" Being the frog I was at the time, I started walking up the wall. Once through the opening, I climbed four flights of stairs before I reached what appeared to be the outside of the labyrinth.

The Great One appeared in front of the golden gates. "So, you found my headquarters, as well as a new wardrobe, Angie." He admired my suit for a moment before he continued. "To get inside the labyrinth, you will have to answer the riddle of the Sphinx." He moved aside to reveal the magnificent beast. "Answer correctly and she will let you pass. Answer incorrectly . . . and she will kill you. Have fun." The evil smile was the last thing to disappear of the cloud.

The Sphinx opened her eyes and looked down at me. "Have you come to answer my riddle?" Her voice was as sweet as syrup.

"Yes, I have come," I replied as calmly as possible.

She waited for only a moment before she began. "What stands on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?"

I did not even have to think about the possibilities of that riddle. "I was asked that same question in Robert English's ninth grade Honors English class. The answer is man."

The Sphinx bowed its head and moved away from the gate. "You may enter, Chosen One."

I passed the beast and, as I entered the labyrinth, she turned to me and said, "Good luck finding your friend, Mia Démone."

I looked back at the beast, slightly puzzled by its kindness. "Thank you," I finally replied just before the doors closed and I continued down the path. Soon I came to a fork in the path. A sign was hanging in-between the two paths.

"Take the way of the Arabs," I read aloud. "What . . . Does it mean with eating with the left hand?"

"Try it and find out," replied Léon.

I took the left path and nothing bad occurred. A half hour later, I came to a door with three keys. "There are three keys labeled A, C, and D."

"Try the D key," said Ponton.

I took the key labeled D and tried it in the lock. Suddenly, two blades came whirling down the path towards me. With nowhere to run, I flattened myself against the wall, the blades just inches from my body when they stuck into the perpendicular wall. "Any more suggestions, Ponton?"

"Um . . . how about the A key?" he replied.

I took the key and was about to put it into the lock when another voice came on _Le Silence_. "Don't use that key, Mia, or there will be three blades. Use the C key."

I dropped the A key, picked up the C key, and cautiously tried it in the lock. The door opened and a musical chord sounded. "Oh, I understand. It's a musical riddle. The key of D has two sharps, the key of A has three . . . "

" . . . but the key of C has no sharps," the voice finished.

I smiled as I continued down the path. "_Merci beaucoup, mon cher_."

"_De rien, ma fille_."

I came across another division in the road; only this time there were three paths. I read the riddle aloud: "What is the shortest way to travel between two points on the globe; straight line, zig-zag, or curved line?"

Bezu immediately replied, "Curved line."

I entered the pathway, which led me to an open, circular room. "Now what?"

"Congratulations, Mia. You made it to the center of my labyrinth." I could hear the Great One chuckle and it made me wonder where I had heard it before. "Will you make it past my guard?"

A smoke screen appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the room and I had to take several steps back. As the smoke cleared and I was able to catch a better glimpse of the man, I recognized the fiendish foe. "Mysterio!"

"Now that we've been probably introduced, let me show you a trick," he said sardonically. He held his hands and the entire room transformed into a jungle. "Now you see me, now you don't."

I turned to the left, then the right, but I could not see Mysterio through his illusion. A low growl alerted me something very bad was behind me. I turned around on my heel to discover an enormous tiger watching me, ready to pounce.

I swallowed hard. "Oh . . . oh, _mon Dieur_," I managed to mutter as I felt my knees begin to shake.

A voice came in on _Le Silence_. "Mia, there is nothing there." It was Franz.

I laughed nervously. "Tell _la tigre_ it's not here."

"I'm serious, Mia, the tiger is not real. It is just an illusion," said Franz. "You are depending on your eyes. Trust your other senses."

I closed my eyes and tried desperately to concentrate. "I . . . I'm afraid, _mon ami_."

"You don't need to be," he replied. "We are going to turn on your left lens and you will see what your right lens is sending us."

I remembered what Steelbeak had told me a long time ago, and mumbled aloud to myself, "Unless you take a chance, you'll never know what could have happened." I opened my eyes and in my right lens I could still see the jungle and the tiger, but in my left lens, I could only see an empty circular room plus Mysterio.

"This is the end of the line, Mysterio," I told him, backing away from the 'tiger' and straight for the center of the room. "All I have to do is reach the center circle and I will have won."

Mysterio laughed skeptically. "You make it sound so simple, Chosen One. That tiger will attack you when you move too fast. An example would be if you decided to sprint to the center circle; that tiger will have stopped you before you reached the fifth circle out." He slowly began walking towards me.

I acted as if I was still distracted by the tiger, but my full attention was on Mysterio. "Yes, that tiger would be able to stop me from reaching the center circle, except for one minor detail you forgot."

Mysterio stopped dead in his tracks almost right next to me. "What minor detail is that?"

I almost smiled as I said, "Your illusions won't work on me anymore." I swung around and punched him in the gut, causing him to double over in pain.

I waited until he was upright before I leapt for him, knocking him down and bouncing his head off the floor as I jumped off of him. As I landed perfectly in the center, I shouted excitedly, "_Je gagne_ (_I win_)!" That was when the floor dropped out beneath me and I fell into a deep, dark room.

I landed hard on my left leg, making it difficult to stand and approach the light. Cautiously, I stood within the lighted area and a booming voice I was growing to hate said, "Welcome to the center of my Labyrinth, Mia Démone. As you can see, that's your friend in the other lighted area."

Another bright light shone down, revealing Nate bound to a chair and gagged. "You know so much about me, Great One," I said, "but I know nothing about you."

The Great One laughed. "You never knew totally everything about me, Angie, no matter how intelligent you claimed to be in school. You have no idea who I am, do you, Angie?" He laughed in mockery once again. "I have left behind so many clues for you to find, it's almost embarrassing to call you the greatest foe I have ever encountered. I mean, we have been quarreling in this way for over eight years, and you have no idea who I am! I even sent the French frogs after you, actually hoping for one of your loved ones to perish. So sad about Nathan. You were kind enough to at least give him a proper funeral. The decorations were wonderful." The jest in his voice was almost unbearable.

He and his unbearably joyful voice were making me more than a little angry. "Enough of your little games, Great One. Stop your fooling around and ask me your three questions so I may rescue my friends."

He laughed a little, perhaps at my courage, something he probably saw as stupidity. "The first two are fairly simple, but you never guess the answer to the final question." He paused for some sort of dramatic affect. "Are you ready, Angie?"

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," I replied.

"Good. The first question is 'what is a half of a third of a fourth of a half of a number?' "

The answer is a twenty-fourth of a number," I replied simply, math being one of my best classes.

"Very good, Chosen One." I heard a small _hm_, as if he were pondering how easily I answered his question. "You have a quick mind, Angie. Let's hope it's just as intelligent." He paused for a moment before asking this next question, "What is the correct translation for _J'ai faim_?"

I smiled. "The correct translation of _J'ai faim_ would be 'I have hunger' as opposed to the common American saying 'I am hungry'."

"I see you paid more attention in Missus Mocello's class than I anticipated," the Great One commented. "However, all the classes you attended will not help you with this final question, Angie."

"Enough, Great One, just ask me the question," I said. "No more riddles; no more insults. Just ask me the final question."

There was silence for a few moments. "Alright, Angie, with no riddles or insults attached, here is the final question: 'what is the true identity of . . . the Great One?'. Good luck, you'll need it."

He remained silent as I sat on the ground, pondering over what I would deem an unfair question. _What is the true identity of the Great One?_ I ran through any ideas which could prove useful in solving the question. Whoever was the Great One had attended Nathan Leets' funeral, which brought it down to anyone in Corry, Pennsylvania. _You never knew totally everything about me, Angie, no matter how intelligent you claimed to be in school . . . I mean, we have been quarreling in this way for over eight years . . ._ Those statements would limit the possibilities to any of the bullies who beat me up all through my schooling. Then the idiot was calling me Angie, when everyone knew I hated it and preferred Angelina.

That thought made me pause. _Angie_. There were only six or seven bullies who beat me up all through high school and all of which were closely knit. As I thought more and more about it, I realized there was not a single one of them who called me 'Angie'. Not one of them except . . . "Brady Dink!"

Brady stepped into the light next to his brother, a cheeky grin on his face. "So, you figured it out. Not bad for a nerd."

I shrugged. "It wasn't hard when I had the time to stop and think. The only part of this I did not understand was why you are seeking revenge on me."

"What isn't there to figure out, Angie?" he nearly shouted at me. "You embarrassed me in front of our whole grade all throughout school! I appeared to be a total idiot in front of our fellow classmates, and I hated it!" He paused to gain his composure. "That wasn't enough, though, was it? You had o go and turn my whole family against me." He patted the top of Nate's head. "Why do you think our parents had a terrible car accident? After all, it's not my fault they didn't check their brakes to make sure they were working correctly." An evil grin appeared on his face. "I still cared for Nate, at least, enough to allow him the privilege of viewing Animatown before his execution."

"You're a monster!"

He thought about it for a moment. "Not really. You see, once you and my dear brother, Nate, are executed and made an example, I shall rule Animatown . . . " He caught me off-guard, punching me square in the jaw. As I was sent tumbling to the ground, Brady came closer and knelt next to my side. ". . . . as the tyrant you claimed I would become."

I wiped the blood from my lip as I sat upright. "The only difference between a tyrant and a monster is only a monster would kill his family."

Infuriated, Brady back-handed me across the face and bellowed, "Starscream!"

The evil Decepticon – the only enemy I feared – suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. "Yes, Great One?"

"Take these two human . . . _germs_ to the Cybertronian prison," Brady told Starscream. "Tomorrow execute them in any way you desire."

"It will be done as you have commanded, Great One." Starscream picked me and Nathan up by the collars of our shirts off the ground and took us to a transporter beam, which relocated us onto the planet known as Cybertron. As he walked to the prison, Starscream brought me close to his face and grinned cruelly. "I hope you realize, Chosen One, the Great One has given _me_ permission to publicly dispose of you however I wish. In which case, you can count on your death being anything but quick and painless." He threw us into the dark, damp Cybertronian cell, slammed the heavy door behind us, and made sure it was locked. He glanced in one more time and his smile was even more cruel than before as he said, "See you at dawn, Chosen One." He walked away, laughing maniacally as he shut the prison door.


	24. A Change of Events

I turned to Nate, who was still bound to the chair. If it was not for me, he would never have been in this mess, neither would any of my other friends. I would not have cared so badly if it was just me going to die, but Nate had almost nothing to do with it. I noticed the ropes binding his hands and feet together were cutting into his skin; I found a sharp rock and starting cutting through them. "Don't worry, Nate. I'll have you out of those ropes in a moment." As promised, the ropes were off in a little bit.

He pulled the gag off and smiled a little. "I thought the gentleman was supposed to come to the rescue, Mia."

I shrugged as I managed to pull off a small grin. "If you would prefer, I could get David to come here and . . ."

"Never mind." Nate sighed. "It's too dangerous for anyone to come here anyway." He winced as he tried to move.

"Are you alright?" I rubbed my aching elbow and realized it had been cut when Starscream threw us in there.

"Those ropes cut pretty deep," he replied. "Not as deep as what Brady has done, and it doesn't hurt as bad, either." He let out a sigh of frustration. "Of all people to become the Great One, I should have known it was him."

"I'm sorry about Brady," I told him. I began crying over his wounds, not that I knew why. "I mean to be betrayed by your own brother . . ."

"I never expected him to do something like this." Nate winced as a tear and a drop of blood fell silently onto his cut. "I never thought anything bad of him, though he was the one who . . ."

Nate stopped and I immediately understood how he helped Jeanne through the Tear to Animatown. "Brady was the one who showed you the Tear, wasn't he?"

Nate nodded slowly in shame. "He said he had been to Animatown several times before and it was a safe place to be . . . it just didn't click . . . Hey, what's happening to my cuts?" They all were healing at an accelerated rate.

I sat back in surprise. "I . . . I don't know!" I replied.

Nate wiped away the blood and teardrop off his arm before he looked back up at me. "Mia . . . I think it was you."

"What?"

Nate laughed at my utter disbelief. "Now, it all makes sense. When you helped Batman back in June, you wrapped his chest in cloth, but what did you do first?"

I thought about it for a moment. "I . . . checked to see if he had any broken ribs."

"By touching his ribs," Nate added excitedly. "When you found David, what did you do to help him?"

"I put his arm back in place," I replied.

"You touched his arm!" The exhilaration was visible in his eyes. "What about Le Frog?"

"I set him on the deck after he fell . . . I cleaned his wounds and checked his temperature . . ."

"By touching his forehead! What did you just do to me?"

"I cried on your cut," I said simply.

"After you touched my arm. Don't you see, Mia? You have a power to heal someone simply by touching them. You have powers!"

"Yeah, well, a lot of good healing will do if it won't help us escape or live through a public execution."

"Humans." A large metallic voice echoed throughout the prison, startling the both of us. "Who are you that you are to be publicly executed?"

I slowly rose to my feet, unsure of what to say or do. "My name is Mia Angelina Démone, and this is my friend, Nate Dink. We are from Earth, and . . ."

"You cannot possibly be from Earth," said the voice. "You are an animated frog, probably from the sewers down below."

I glanced over at Nate, who had regained his human form during his capture, then back down at myself. I had not realized I was still in the form of a frog. "Please understand, I am in all actuality a human. I am just under an enchantment given to me by Merlin. It's purpose is to protect my identity."

I removed the necklace and I returned immediately to my true form. "See? I am human. Now, why don't you show yourself?"

"I will only reveal myself to the Chosen One," the voice replied. "If you are who you say you are, then show your birthmark."

I lifted up my right sleeve and a bright light shone upon the birthmark. "Here is the Mark of the Tiger if you need more proof," I told him, pulling up my left sleeve.

The light faded and a giant robotic man stepped out of the shadows.

"Optimus Prime!" I gasped in awe.

"Ready to serve along-side the Chosen One."

"How did you end up here in this prison?" Nate asked him.

Optimus' blue eyes darkened to grey. "The Great One took control of Animatown. He defeated all of the Autobots and had us thrown into the Cybertronian prisons."

"You have been in these prisons for five years?" I asked in astonishment.

"Yes," he replied. "If we could get someone to help with the locks, we would help you save Animatown from the Great One's evil."

I sat down. "I wish we could find some help."

"Mia, this is Thibault. Can you hear me?" _Le Silence _sprung to life in my ear.

"Thibault?!" I cried out in excitement. "I can hear you. I am in the Cybertronian prisons and I am in no position to escape." I was about ready to cry with joy.

"We know, _chere_," said Le Frog, his voice soothing in my time of trouble. "We are almost there. Do not worry about a thing."

"I was so afraid . . ."

"Please do not be afraid, _ma chere_," he told me. "We will save you and your friends before Starscream can lay a finger on you."

I smiled as my tears dripped down my cheeks. "Please hurry, _mon cher_."

"We are almost to the prison. You will able to see us soon."

"I thought I would never see you again, _mon cher_, and . . ." It was then I noticed the strange looks Nate and Optimus Prime were casting in my direction. "Um, Le Frog, is there any way you can change the settings of _Le Silence_ so other people can hear it without the sound waves becoming detectable?"

"_Oui_. I'll do that right away." I could hear him making a few adjustments. "Is that better, _ma chere_?"

I looked over at Nate and Optimus, whose looks of puzzlement disappeared and they nodded. I told him, "Yes, that is much better. Thank you, _mon cher_."

"_De rien, mon petit chou_. We are just outside the gates, but it is heavily guarded."

"Climb the wall to your right. I will signal to let you know which cell for which you should be looking."

I glanced over at the window as I made my way over. The window was barred and about eye level. I looked out and watched as eight frogs climbed over the wall. I waved to them through the bars and spoke into _Le Silence_. "I'm over here, _mes amis_."

The frogs came over and, of course, had no trouble squeezing through the bars, As soon as he was through, Le Frog came and embraced me. "Are you alright, _ma chere_?"

I cried into his shoulder. "I will be when we are out of here."

He looked into my eyes. "If Starscream or the Great One harmed you in any way, I'll . . ." He noticed the bruise which had not completely healed on my jaw. He gently stroked it as his anger rose. "I will get them for hurting you, _mon petit chou_." He pressed a small kiss on my wound.

"We'll worry about them later," I told him, a small smile forming on my lips. "First, we need someone to pick the locks on the doors."

Phillipe stepped forward. "I will do it, _chere ami_. It will take a little while, but I will do it." He stepped over to the door and began to pick the lock. It did take some time, but he did unlock our cell as well as the rest of the cells.

When he had unlocked all the cells, the first rays of sunlight were peeping through the windows. "Okay," I said. "Now we need to get out of here before . . ."

"You!"

I whipped around to see Starscream had busted through the door, his finger pointing furiously at me. "I should have killed you years ago – or at least months ago – when I had the chance. Now I'm going to crush you like the germ you are!"

All I could think was, "_I wish I was big right now._"

"Starscream, stand down." said Optimus.

"_I wish I was bigger._" I kept thinking to myself as Starscream pulled out his gun.

"Mia, what's happening to you?" exclaimed Nate.

I looked down at myself and I realized I was growing. I looked around at all my friends, who all appeared to be shrinking, which I knew was not happening. I glanced over at Starscream and discovered I was his height. It was at that moment I realized one of powers I was supposed to have was evolving enough to realize what it was. I had the power to dream; to think, to plan, and to do. Whatever I saw myself doing, I could and would do.

"You want to fight me, Starscream?" I stood opposite my greatest foe. "We'll fight, and it will be fair." My smile was cruel.

Starscream tried not to appear bothered by these turn of events. "This is a greater challenge than I'd hoped." His smile was more cruel than mine could ever be. "Are you ready to fight me, Mia Démone?

"Stand down, Starscream." Optimus tried again.

"No." I turned to my friends, all of whom were now looking at me with sorrow-filled eyes. "I have a thirteen-year-old score I need to settle on my own. I need you all to leave before you get hurt." I glanced back up at Starscream. "You've wanted to crush me for so long . . . come and get me, _Girl_scream."

Starscream lunged for me and I shoved him away from the rest of the group. "Oh, so you're Mister Graceful now?"

Starscream rose quickly to his feet and aimed a punch for my face which hit . . . the wall. As he struggled desperately to pull out his hand, I turned to my friends and said, "Go outside and wait for me; I don't want you to get hurt and this shouldn't take too long."

As they quickly filed out the door, Le Frog turned to face me. "_Bon courage, ma chere_," he said before he too hopped outside.

I turned to my opponent, who socked me in the jaw. "Never turn your back on your enemy, Mia."

I rubbed my jaw a little before I kicked Starscream in the gut and knocked him to the ground. "Never underestimate your opponent, _Girl_scream."

We exchanged a few more punches with 'helpful tips' before we grew serious in our battle. It was not long before I began kicking Starscream until he hit the ground. I continued beating him mercilessly, punching him until he remained motionless before my feet. I pulled his laser gun out of its holster and aimed the weapon right between his purple glass eyes.

"Please . . . don't kill me," he whined up at me.

I laughed mockingly and pressed the gun deeper into his chrome forehead. "You who claim to be without mercy now beg for it at my feet like a dog? I thought you were made of harder metals than aluminum." When he merely looked up at me, I growled, "Let me and my friends go back to the edge of Animatown without any trouble, Starscream."

"Okay," he whimpered. "I will."

I pressed a little harder. "Don't forget, Starscream. You owe me for sparing your life today when you certainly don't deserve it. You better remember this when we are on the battlefield because I most certainly will not forget."

"I will not forget, Mia." As I pulled the gun away from his head, Starscream quietly said, "You really are the Chosen One, and I will always follow you." I left him there to recooperate as I shrank to my normal size and followed my friends outside.

"Is everyone alright?" I asked as I closed the door behind me.

"We're fine," said Ponton.

"So are we." Optimus nodded at me.

Nate turned to me, looking me over for any wounds. "What about you, Mia? Did Starscream hurt you?"

I smiled. "No, I'm fine, Nate. Don't worry about Starscream; I don't think we'll be having any more trouble with him. He's on our side now."

"You mean I cannot hurt him for hurting you?" asked Le Frog, pretending to be disappointed.

I laughed as I hugged him. "I promise you will be able to throw in at least one punch when I fight against the Great One."

"No offense," Nate interjected. "But we have other things to worry about. We have an hour to reach the other side of Animatown."

"_Zut a lord!_" I turned to Optimus Prime with urgency. "Optimus, can you and the rest of your Autobots take us back to Animatown and the outside of its gates?"

"It would be an honor to help you, Chosen One," he replied. "Autobots, transform and roll out!"

Once the Autobots were completely transformed, two people, or creatures, climbed into each vehicle. All except Bezu, who had one all to himself. Nate and I had climbed into Hot Shot together and were now flying speedily down a dirt road toward the outer parts of Animatown. "Mia, I need to talk to you." It had been a good fifty minutes since we had left the Cybertronian prison.

I looked over at Nate, surprised by his straightforwardness. "Yes?"

"I . . . I want to ask you . . . what's going on between you and Le Frog?" he said quietly, hoping _Le Silence_ could not pick up what he was saying.

"Why are you asking?" I asked defensively. "Is there something wrong with the idea?"

"No, no, I'm not saying anything is wrong with the idea." Nate sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I was asking because . . . because I know you are still struggling between loving Le Frog and hating him for letting Nathan Leets death happen."

I turned and watched out the window, surprised my emotions were so easily read. "It has been difficult for me ever since I met Le Frog three years ago," I told him. "I had fallen in love with him the moment I laid eyes on him, but I was so clouded by my anger for him and Bezu for the death of my foster father, I did not let myself believe it was really love."

When I looked back at Nate, my eyes were filled with tears. "I love Le Frog so much . . . but every time I look into his eyes, I feel so guilty for falling in love with someone who had a hand in the death of a family member. It's as if Nathan Leets' death has meant nothing to me, Nate." I wiped away my tears with the palm of my hand.

"Mia, don't push Le Frog away. I know Brady said it was some great sin to be falling in love with Le Frog, but it's not." Nate gently lifted my chin so we were eye-to-eye. "Le Frog did not kill Nathan Leets, and what Bezu did was a kung-fu move gone wrong. Nathan Leets' death was accidental and no one is to blame. Besides, if you push Le Frog away for what you feel to be guilty, you will be pushing away the only person who has brought out the real you."

"Le Frog has done so much to help you become the Chosen One as you were meant to become as well as the young woman you are now." Nate smiled as he wiped away a tear. "Plus, I have listened to you two talk to each other. You were meant for each other, whether you realize it or not."

"Sorry to interrupt, guys," said Hot Shot. "We're nearly at the edge of Animatown and the good cartoons' campgrounds."

I checked my watch. It was six fifty-seven, which meant my ten-hour time limit was about over. I picked up _Le Silence_ and said, "Which one of you frogs is riding in the firetruck?"

"_C'est Le Frog_," replied Vincent.

"Le Frog, can you hear me? _C'est Mia_."

"_Oui. J'ecoute_."

"Tell Optimus we need to pick up speed in order to reach the good cartoons' campgrounds in time," I told him. "We have less than three minutes."

There was a silence for several moments and I was almost afraid Optimus could go no faster before Le Frog replied. "Optimus is having all his Autobots drive at their top speed, _ma chere_, so we should be there in no time."

"_Merci beaucoup, _Le Frog." I noticed Nate was staring at me as I set down _Le Silence_. "What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"That was exactly what I was talking about earlier, Mia." Nate smiled as I blinked I confusion. "You and Le Frog are deeply in love with each other."

"So?" I asked, my face becoming slightly flushed as Hot Shot sped up. "There's nothing wrong with it, is there?"

"No, and that is exactly my point. You two love each other, Mia. Why do you keep seeing that as some sort of guilty crime in desperate need of punishment?"

"I don't see it that way . . ." I tried focusing out the wondow again, but it was hard when we were racing past so fast nothing was visible as a solid object. "It's just . . . I always feel like . . . like we could never be together because of whom I must become as well as what I am."

"Just because the entire town calls you a Halfling doesn't mean you can't be with a full-blooded cartoon," he told me. "It's the same as interracial marriages; as long as love is involved, there's nothing wrong with it. Besides, Le Frog loves you even though you are half-and-half, shouldn't that be all that matters? And as for who you have become, in my opinion, who the Chosen One marries should mean nothing to Animatown as long as the citizens are invited to the wedding."

Hot Shot stopped not far behind Optimus as he announced, "We're here, Chosen One." He opened the doors and let us out.

As I walked toward the campgrounds, which were just coming into view, I glanced down at my watch. It now read six fifty-nine; we were just in time.

"Mia? Nate? Is that you, guys?" I could barely see David through the mist.

"David!" I exclaimed. I was nearly pummeled by my friend as he realized Nate and I were alive. "Is everyone alright, David?"

"We're as close to alright as we are going to get," he replied. He glanced behind me to see the frogs headed in our direction. "Mia, look out; it's the French frogs!"

I chuckled a little as I prevented him from harming my friends. "Don't worry, David, the frogs are definitely on our side. Gather everyone up in the center of the campgrounds; we have to bring everyone up to speed."

Once every single creature – human and cartoon alike – had been gathered and brought to the campground center, Nate, the French frogs, and I told them the story of how we all worked together to save Nate and escape from the Cybertronian prisons.


	25. The Great Battle

Now, this would be a wonderful place to say, "And they all lived happily ever after." However, not only is that beloved statement grammatically incorrect and an insult to my grammar, its meaning was not meant to come at that place or time. "Mia Démone!"

I turned from the crowd of good guys to see the puff of smoke – now revealed to be Brady Dink – leading an entire army of villains. "Mia Démone, there is a battle about to begin. I will speak with you before we try anything . . . violent."

I stepped forward and the two of us met in the middle of the battlefield. As Brady returned to his natural form, I said, "About what do we need to talk, Brady?"

He stepped a little closer as amusement danced in his voice. "Mia, we both know your powers have manifested a large amount in the last couple hours. They are almost as powerful as mine. Now look at the odds of this fight."

As I glanced from his army to mine, he said, "The odds are one-hundred-to-one in my favor. However, you can change all of this." He stepped even closer. "Join forces with me, Mia Démone. Imagine what we could do for Animatown together. Just say the word, and this battle will be over with and we will rule Animatown with all the power, fame, and fortune you could ever imagine. Plus, if you wanted, I could bring back your foster father."

When I shot him a surprised glance, he nodded. "Oh, yeah. I can bring Nathan Leets back and your entire family will be together again. All you have to do is say you'll join forces with me. I'll give you two minutes to think it over." He backed away and gave me space to think.

It was a tempting offer, _very_ tempting. However, if I joined forces with Brady and he did bring Nathan Leets back from the dead, would he be proud of my decisions . . . or would he want to die again to escape the mess I would create? As I thought about my options, I remembered something an old friend once told me, _"You will do great things in your life, Mia. Only you can decide if they will be terrible or noble._"

I turned to Brady Dink with a new determination built up inside me. "Brady Dink, I am disinclined to give a positive response to your offer. Righteousness always comes before my selfish wants."

Brady shrugged. "Your loss. This just means I'll have to kill you if you will not be obedient and submissive to my will."

"I will not surrender to you, Brady Dink," I told him fearlessly. "You and your posse beat me up every day of my life ever since I returned from Animatown, but I never said a word to anyone I was close to for fear you would kill me when you were caught. It took me the last couple hours to realize, Brady, you would never kill anyone."

"How many times have you almost died at my hands, Mia?" he laughed.

"Just because I almost died does not mean you would intentionally kill me, Brady," I replied. "Besides, my friends and I have been wounded by the hands of your apprentices. Not once have you personally laid a finger on any of us, save that sucker punch back at your headquarters."

"That reminds me . . ." Le Frog hopped out of nowhere and punched Brady in the eye. "This is for hurting _ma chere_!" He hopped away before Brady could recover from the blow.

His nostrils flared in anger, Brady shouted out to his troops. "Villains, attack the good toons, but don't touch the Chosen One. She is mine."

I turned to the good cartoons. "Come on, my friends. If we believe in ourselves and each other, we overpower them one-hundred-to-one. They are powered by their greed, but we have the power of light, of love. Are we going to fight for our city?"

"We will fight for our city!" the good cartoons shouted in unison.

"Then . . . charge!" I led them across the open field and toward the charging enemy. They immediately fought the villains while I continued marching towards the Great One. "You will never win, Brady."

"We'll see about that, _Angie_." He floated above the pandemonium.

Wanting to keep everyone out of the cross-fire, I followed Brady into the sky. I created a fireball and threw it at his head. "Don't you know good always triumphs over evil?" I quickly dodged a blue sphere he had tossed at my legs.

"That only happens in this fantasy world, Mia," he told me, dodging another fireball, this one aimed at his stomach. "Good never wins in the real world. You of all people should know that." He threw a black cloud of magical dust at me, missing my head by inches.

I created a purple magical sphere and flung it at him. It hit him square in the face, turning his skin a sickly shade of green. "Well, we're not talking about the real world, Brady. What we are fighting for is the safety of what you call a fantasy world, not Earth. Here is where there are always happy endings."

Brady hit my arm with a hot fireball. As my arm smoldered a little and began to heal, he said, "Give it up, Mia. You will never win. I have magic abilities powerful enough to kill you with or without your healing powers."

I felt the pain in my arm as well as the anger growing in my soul mix and swell together to create a dangerous mix, but with one hand still healing after smoldering, I knew I could not fight well enough to cause him a large amount of damage.

Brady created a light blue sphere and I knew it was not good. "Are you ready to die after all this pain of wounds and healing, Chosen One?" He threw the sphere at my chest and I knew I had no time to avoid it.

With a second left before the deadly magical sphere would hit and kill me, an unidentified figure leaped in front of me. He was hit full-blast by the sphere and fell soundlessly to the ground. All activity stopped as if time stood still while Jeanne and David ran over to check on the brave individual. "He . . . He's not going to make it," Jeanne whispered.

"Who is it?" I heard Penguin ask from somewhere on the battlefield.

Le Frog knelt next to Jeanne and almost covered his mouth in shock before he replied, "It's . . . Steelbeak."

Pure horror, anger, and rage took over my mind and the pain temporarily left my body. I used every single ounce of energy and strength I had remaining in my body to create the ultimate magical sphere. I managed to shout, "Evil just ticked off good, Brady!" before launching the sphere at the Great One. The sphere hit Brady Dink straight on and, in a matter of colorful flashing lights and agonizing seconds, Brady had completely disintegrated into a pile of dust.

I fell in a heap on the ground and rolled down-hill until Léon caught and stopped me. I rose unsteadily to my feet and Léon helped me slowly hobble over to Steelbeak's side. "Steelbeak?" He did not respond. "Uncle Steelbeak, it's me, Mia."

His eyes opened slowly and I could see a small smirk form on his face. "My little Mia has grown up; I couldn't let ya die and not fulfill your destiny."

"I can save you, Uncle Steelbeak," I told him. "All I have to do is touch you and . . ." I touched his feathered arms, but nothing happened. "Why isn't it working?" I began to cry over him, my teardrops splashing on his suit. "I can't let you die, Uncle Steelbeak. You don't deserve to die, especially not like this." The tears continued falling onto his feather, yet nothing was happening.

"I do deserve ta die, Mia. I'm a bad toon, just as I have always been." He held my hand in both of his and I could feel his pulse slowly fading.

"No you're not," I cried. "Remember when you brought me to Animatown for the very first time, when I asked if you were a bad cartoon or a good cartoon? You said you were somewhere in the middle. You can change from somewhere-in-the-middle cartoon to full-fledged good cartoon, Uncle Steelbeak. Just please don't die; you are the father I never had."

I could tell he was fading fast without hope of recovering. I had helped several other people by healing their wounds before; why was it not working on Steelbeak? A small trickle of blood – probably from the tumble I had taken moments before – traveled down my forehead and a small drop of blood fell, splashing as it fell onto his beak.

At first, nothing happened. His pulse eventually stopped and his grip on my hand loosened. "Oh, no." I gently laid my head upon his chest and cried over my loss. Suddenly, I felt his chest move as he breathed and his heart jumped to life. Startled, I jumped back in shock and cried out in joy as I watched the burns begin to heal. In a short matter of seconds, Steelbeak was fully healed and sitting up.

"Uncle Steelbeak, you're alright!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around him.

"I guess I deserved a second chance after all," he chuckled, returning my embrace. I helped Steelbeak up onto his feet as he said, "Is it too late to change? Can ya still forgive me?"

I smiled. "It's never too late to be forgiven, Uncle Steelbeak." I turned to every cartoon and human standing on the battlefield and I addressed them like so: "For eight long years, Animatown has been quarreling between citizens under the rule of the Great One. After spending the past couple months in Animatown, I realize most of you villains never wanted to fight."

Slowly, Le Frog stepped forward. "Mia Démone is right. I have lived in Animatown for six years and have been see as a villain due to being an accomplice to my cousin. Maybe that is what I was created for, to be a mercenary, but over the past few days, I found that was what I wanted to be. I want to live in peace with the good cartoons and be free to be my own person with the people I love and care for." He smiled back at me.

I smiled back at him before returning to the crowd. "If you are willing to live in peace like you were before the reign of the Great One, then throw down your weapons as a sign of peace."

The villains all looked at each other in silence and I feared they would continue to plague the good cartoons with war. Starscream nervously stepped forward and – even with his blood-thirsty ways – threw his gun on the ground. "I want to stop fighting, as long as we have small 'battles' . . . you know, as a way of improving our skills. I mean, what if someone like the Great One comes to Animatown again? We'll want to be prepared."

I thought about it for a moment. "It wouldn't hurt to train everyone in order to prepare for the possibility of another attack like you suggested, Starscream."

Suddenly, every cartoon – both good and bad – threw down their weapons and cheered. In our excitement, Le Frog and I embraced.

"Mia!" David ran up to me, completely overjoyed. "You did it, Mia!"

I smiled. "No, David, we all did it."

"As a family," Le Frog added.

"As a family," I agreed, placing a well-deserved kiss on his green lips.

"Chosen One!" Bugs Bunny ran up to me and interrupted the sentimental moment. "Chosen One, I hate ta interrupt, but we were hopin' ta put tagethah some type a government system. Can ya help wit dat?"

I smiled a little at my love and turned to the crowd of cartoons. "I realize you are in need of a government system. We can have a democracy like I have in America."

"We have a president back in the United States," said Nate, coming up beside me. "Do we have any nominations for your new leader?"

"I nominate Mia Démone." Le Frog was loud and clear with his announcement.

I glanced over at him in surprise as David shouted, "I second the nomination!"

"All in favor raise your hand!" shouted Nate.

"I never accepted the nomination!" I cried out. As I spoke, every hand in the crowd rose.

Nate looked back at me. "I hope you plan on accepting that nomination."

I stared at him, and then back at the multitude. "I guess I accept the nomination . . . if I can spend half of my time in Earth as well as in Animatown. I have family back there that must be worried about me."

"I'm sure that would be fine." Nate held up my hand and Le Frog's hand up over our heads. "Animatown, greet your new leaders, President Mia Démone and Vice President Le Frog!"

The crowd cheered as we greeted them with our new titles. "How long do we want Mia and Le Frog to rule over Animatown?" Nate asked.

The crowd was almost silent as the Animatown citizens discussed how long our terms in office would be.

"To the end of their days!" someone shouted.

Soon, other cartoons voiced their opinion until Nate finally hushed them. "All in favor of Mia's rule lasting to the end of her days raise your hands." Every hand in the crowd rose as high as it possibly could. With a little more discussion, it was decided Steelbeak would become my chief advisor.

I turned from the crowd, planning to return to the town, when a small idea popped into my head. "Jeanne, do you have your cell phone?"

"Yeah," she replied, handing it to me. "Will it actually work in this dimension?"

"If I did my research correctly, the dimensional rip should have no affect on this phone's frequency," I told her confidently. I paused for a few moments as I waited for the other line to pick up. "Hi, Mom, it's me."

"Mia? Oh, my dear child, is it really you?"

I laughed a little into the phone. "Yes, my dear Valorie, it is really me. It's great to hear your voice after all this time."

"I'm so glad you're alive, Mia." I could hear her crying with her joy. "It's been almost a year since we heard from you . . . I was afraid you were dead."

I was silent for a few seconds. "I almost was killed, Valorie, and so was Nate Dink. We're not going to let that happen again." I paused again. "I need to talk to Demona . . . it's important."

After a few silent moments, my foster sister's voice came on the phone. "Mia?"

"Hey, Demona . . . do you remember where Robert English lives?"

"Yeah, I remember."

I smiled. "Tell him I'm okay . . . and I'm coming to see him."


	26. The End ?

Half an hour later, Le Frog, the team of frogs, Steelbeak, Penguin, David, Demona, Jeanne, Nate, and I were headed down the street to the English family's home. We would have been traveling sooner, but I had to explain what had happened as well as keep Demona from breaking Bezu's nose. She almost hurt me for not keeping my promise and punching the guy twice. However, after calming her down and explaining everything which had happened, Demona finally decided there was no reason to kill anyone.

It was an interesting walk, too, as we had to keep all the cartoon characters hidden from view. We kept close to the treeline while we were in town and, as soon as we were on a dirt road seemingly in the middle of nowhere, we brought the cartoon characters out into the open. When Robert opened his front door, his reaction was a little more frantic than Demona's when he saw the frogs.

"Oh, my gosh!" He ran back into the house and came back with a rifle. "Get off my property or I'll shoot you to kingdom come . . . or wherever cartoons go when they die!"

I stepped in-between the frogs and Robert. "Please, Robert, I know they owe you an apology, but they're our friends now." When his jaw dropped in shock, I managed a small smile. "We have a great deal to talk about."

Reluctantly, Robert allowed the entire group into his home, where we all sat in the living room to tell our story and to apologise for any mishandling. After listening for quite some time, Robert began to understand and decided to forgive the French frogs for the encounter they put him through. "After all," he said as he poured Mia a glass of apple cider. "It's not like any of you tried to kill me."

"We never could have even if we were ordered to, anyway," said Bezu. "We care too much about Mia and her friends."

"So, what exactly are our plans now?" asked Le Frog, turning everyone's attention to me.

I thought about it for a moment before a smile slowly spread across my face. "I think it's time we celebrated."

* * *

I wrung my hands together nervously as I awaited Bugs Bunny's cue backstage. When I said celebrate, I meant a big party where everyone had fun. I had not meant to imply I would perform onstage while everyone had fun and watched. However, the insistence of my friends were very persistent and I eventually agreed to perform to the best of my abilities. I slowly took in a big breath of air and released it to calm my nerves. "It's okay, Mia, you can do this."

"You just saved the entire dimension from the Great One and you're worried about singing in front of an audience?" Le Frog smiled warmly as he came out from the shadows, slightly startling me. "What happened to the immeasurable courage of the Chosen One?"

I chuckled a little. "It's easier to face your enemies tha it is to face your friends sometimes. I've never performed in front of them before."

"At least, not that you know about." Le Frog turned me to face him and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "After all you've been through all your life, didn't you realize what other people think about you doesn't really matter? You are you and even if nobody liked the way you were, you still act like you and it's that part of you I lo . . . like." He blushed a little when he realized I knew what he almost said. "Now, when Bugs cues you, you go out there and you sing your heart out. Alright?"

I swallowed hard and managed a weak nod before I heard Bugs announce, "The Baghdad Café would proudly like to present to you our very own Chosen One, President Mia Démone."

The crowd cheered and Le Frog gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze as I walked slowly onto the stage. Bugs handed me the micrphone and I forced a smile as I said, "Before I begin, I have something I would like to say." I waited patiently until everyone had settled down before I began. "When I was first told of what was to become of me thirteen years ago, I had no idea it would be so difficult. All I had ever wanted was a normal life where no one died because of me and the only odd thing about me was my birthmark."

I paused as I glanced over at my table of friends. "However, I realized it was impossible for me to be normal as a half-breed. I belong in both worlds just as much as each inhabitant belongs in theirs, and I'm proud of that. If it weren't for my abnormal life, I wouldn't have made so many friends and this world would never exist as it does now." I smiled over at my friends as everyone cheered. "I'm proud to be a human and a cartoon. After all, without one half, I never would have fallen in love." I looked back at Le Frog backstage, who stared at me wide-eyed.

I looked back at the crowd. "Now that the dimensions are safe, I have one thing I want to do more than anything . . . I want to have a good time!" I pointed at Daffy Duck, who began playing the electronic keyboard. Bugs started playing his electric guitar, Donald Duck strummed on his base guitar, and Mickey Mouse started beating on the drums as I began to sing, "Now listen . . ."

"Not a dime, I can't pay my rent. I can barely make it through the week . . . Saturday night I'd like to make my man, but right now I can't hardly make ends meet." I jumped onto an empty table as I came closer to the chorus. "I'm always workin', slavin', everyday, gotta get away from the same old, same old. I need a chance just to get away. If you could hear me think, this is what I say." I started banging my head as the crowd sang along, "Don't need nothing but a good time . . . how can I resist? Ain't looking for nothin' but a good time . . . and it don't get better than this!"

"They say I spend my money on boys, men, and wine, but I couldn't tell ya where I spent last night. I'm really sorry for the shape I'm in. I just like my fun every now and then." I worked my way to the center of the room on the empty tables. "I'm always working, slaving, every day, gotta get away from the same old, same old. I need a chance just to get away. If you could hear me think, this is what I'd say . . ." I jumped on the middle table and sang, "Don't need nothing but a good time . . . how can I resist? Ain't looking for nothing but a good time and it don't get better than this."

I took a plastic cup of rootbeer from the bartender before returning to the stage. "You see, I raise a toast to all of us who are breaking our backs every day. If wanting the good life is such a crime, Lord, then put me away. Here's to ya!" I chugged the rootbeer down and tossed the cup back to the bartender while Bugs began his guitar solo. Daffy, Mickey, Donald, and I goofed around on the stage for a little bit before we had to return to our parts and sing one last time, "Don't need nothing but a good time . . . how can I resist? Ain't looking for nothing but a good time and it don't get better than this!"

The crowd cheered and applauded as everyone rose to their feet. I smiled and tears of joy ran down my cheeks before I turned to where I had last seen Le Frog. He was gone. I posed a smile as Bruce came over and took the microphone, telling me I did an amazing job before he announced, "We will be having the official honorary celebration for President Mia Démone at Wayne Mansion until eleven tonight. Everyone is welcome to come, just follow me!"

Bruce helped me off the stage before we led the crowd to Wayne Mansion. As we walked, I occassionally glanced around for any signs of Le Frog only to be disappointed. Where had he gone? Why had he left without saying goodbye? These questions popped in my head moments before I led the crowd through the main doors of Wayne Manor. Throughout the entire party, I kept an eye out for Le Frog inbetween talking to guests and being shown off by my proud father. However, I did not see him and was afraid I had scared him off with what I said on stage.

After the party had ended, Bruce gave all my friends and I a room in our own in which to spend the night. After thanking Bruce for the fifth time, I walked into my room and shut the door behind me. I changed into a blue nightgown and freed my hair from the bun it was in, letting it flow down my back. Before going to bed, I decided to go out on the balcony for a look at the ocean. I opened the glass doors, slowly walked onto the balcony, and rested my forearms on the banister. I gazed out beyond the city at the waters of the ocean, admiring the beauty and tranquility of the rippling waves.

"Mia Démone?"

I lowered my gaze to where the voice was coming, which was where Starscream was sitting peacefully on the grass. "I was wondering when you were going to speak, Starscream."

Starscream stood so we were at eye level when he spoke. "I promise you, Chosen One, I have not come to start another fight with you."

"Well, there's a first," I said jokingly, smiling as I spoke.

I could see a small smiliing tugging at his lips. "I actually came here to congratulate you. I've never been defeated in a fair fight before."

"Then it honors me to be the first," I replied.

"I came to ask you . . . I mean . . ."

"I know you haven'y come to ask me for forgiveness, Starscream," I told him. "So what exactly are you asking for . . . a compromise of some sorts?"

"Sort of. I can't prevent Megatron's actions, but I can warn you if he decides to attack."

"What do you expect in exchange for your services?"

"Just to have practice fights with you, Mia," he replied honestly. "I want to improve by learning from the best."

I blushed slightly in modesty. but firmly said, "Then we have a deal . . . as long as you promise to keep your word."

"It's a deal." Starscream held out his pinky and I shook it with both hands. "Good luck, Madam President." He saluted me before transforming into his jet form and flying off into the night.

I stayed out on the balcony for several moments longer, remembering my mother with each rippling wave caressing the beach. After a reluctant sigh, I went inside and shut the balcony doors. Although the doors were shut, I felt something silently breeze past me and my senses were instantly alert someone - or something - was in my room. "Who's in here?"

"_C'est moi, ma chere_." I looked up to find Le Frog hanging upside down from the ceiling. "I just came to wish _la belle fille_ goodnight."

"Oh." I had to admit I was rather surprised. "Well, then . . . goodnight, _mon cher_." I sat down on the edge of my bed and watched Le Frog come down off the ceiling. "You didn't come in here just to say goodnight, did you?"

Le Frog sighed. "No." He sat down on the bed next to me. "I . . . I just wanted to say . . . thank you. Thank you for coming into my life and turning it upside down. Otherwise, Animatown would be under evil rule and you would be . . . Well, let's try not to think about what would've happened to you."

I smiled a little. "I'm very glad I did come back to Animatown. If I hadn't, I might have never met you and your team and discovered how wonderful you all are." I suddenly realized I was flirting and turned away, reddening by the second.

I felt him lightly touch my hand with his and I looked into his eyes. "I heard the conversation you and Nate had on the way to the campground. Before you ask, you forgot to turn off the _Silence_."

"You never showed me how," I said softly, knowing it was meaningless to add that to the conversation.

"I never thought you liked me that badly. Here I thought I was flirting with someone who totally despised me." He smiled a little and my face flushed again. "You don't think anyone would come after you now that the Great One is no more, do you?"

"Not that I can think of, but . . ." I was unable to finish, for that was when Le Frog leraned forward and pressed his lips onto mine. The sensations going through my body almost drowned out the doubts and concerns floating through my mind. My common sense told me a relationship with a cartoon frog was almost impossible. My heart told me to enjoy the moment while it lasted.

I almost groaned when he pulled away and whispered, "I wanted to kiss you goodnight just in case I didn't see you before you left tomorrow."

"You aren't seeing us off?" I asked, trying to sound curious rather than disappointed.

He half-smiled. "I can't watch you all leave after all we've been through. Now, get some sleep, _chere_." He kissed my forehead before standing up and opening the door. "You'll need it before your trip home. _Au revoir_." He shut the door behind him, leaving me to dream about a life without my friends in Animatown.

* * *

"Is everyone going to Earth ready to go?" I made sure all the humans were ready as we gathered at the brick wall. I was sad since I had not yet seen Le Frog all day, but the safe return of the others was more important than the emotional problems from which I was suffering. I said goodbye to all the cartoons who had crowded round us and the brick wall through which we were making our departure.

"Mia!"

I turned to see Penguin waddling as fast as he could towards us. "What is it, Dad?"

Breathing heavily, Penguin held out one of his deformed hands. "I forgot to return this to you." He handed me the locket he and my mother had given me for my birthday thirteen years previous. "I never want you to forget Animatown and what you did for its citizens."

I smiled and blinked through my tears. "I promise I'll never forget Animatown, or anyone here. Animatown and its citizens are a part of me and always will be."

"Then why are you leaving?"

The crowd parted so Le Frog could be seen by me. I was not sure whether it'd be better to smile because he was there or cry because he was making it harder on me for leaving. "I have to return to Earth. Just as Animatown and its citizens are a part of me, so are Earth and my friends." I looked down at the locket, then to my father with a small smile. "Dad, I need you to hold onto this for me."

Penguin blinked and looked up at me in surprise. "Hold onto it for you? Why?"

I almost laughed as I said, "It's my guarantee that I'll always return to Animatown."

The crowd cheered loudly and Le Frog hopped immediately to my side, pulling me into a kiss I from which I could not have escaped even if I had wanted to. When he pulled back, we both smiled as we realized this was the start of a whole new adventure. However . . . that's another story.

**_THE END_**


End file.
